The Ting Tings 'Super Critical' is Lackluster: Our Review

SUPER CRITICAL is the third studio album from British indie rock duo, The Ting Tings, coming off of their 2010 sophomore album, SOUNDS FROM NOWHERESVILLE, which received mediocre praise, reaching only 24 on the the UK Albums Chart.

This time around, SUPER CRITICAL (the album) is full of The Ting Ting's classic drum beats and bass, and seems to be following a similar path.

While Kate White's vocals are spot on, and the rhythms of characteristically toe-tappin and fun, the overall vibe of the album leaves much to be considered.

It seems to stop short of pushing into any real emotional territory and is lost and confused compared to the cohesiveness and personality behind their debut, WE STARTED NOTHING. With only 9 songs to the album, SUPER CRITICAL, is, unfortunately, subject to a super critical review.

The album kicks off with the aptly titled SUPER CRITICAL, an upbeat song about a "super critical" girl taking over the world just as much as the "super critical" world takes over the girl.

It gives some classic promise for the album, using some fun and funky beats to tell a character story--a skill The Ting Tings are much loved for.

DAUGHTER is an edgy, spunky confession of a girl gone a little wild. It's classic Kate White and Jules De Martino, and possibly the best song on the album, though is underrated compared to the released singles.

For a catchy bit of melodrama, DO IT AGAIN sings the woes of a begrudging day-by-day lifestyle.

It's at this point the album begins to dip. While the listener really wants to like The Ting Tings' typical and sacred vibe, the repetitiveness and general unoriginality is not only boring, but instantly forgettable.

WRONG CLUB adopts some sweet 90s rhythm as Kate White croons about not quite liking the DJ. "No DJ never saved my life," she sings. It's a danceable and groovable album, but is overall very one note and lacks the same pep that the first few songs (and first album) initially introduced by The Ting Tings.

The mood slows down a bit for the fifth song on the album, WABI SABI, which tragically fails to meet its goal, whatever that may be. The main repetition is the sentiment "Why are you", a line whose meaning is left to be just poetic enough to miss the point.

"Wabi Sabi" is unexplained, though in Japanese, wabi-sabi is a world view centered around the acceptance of imperfection. Perhaps this is what The Ting Tings were attempting to relay through the drone of this mid-way song.

ONLY LOVE is another cheap attempt at reaching something deeper than a catchy tune just only to scratch the surface.

At this point in the album, I wonder why I keep listening. It's only in hope there's a hit reminiscent of The Ting Tings' early indie rockability.

The final three songs on the album--COMMUNICATION, GREEN POISON, and FAILURE--fall along the same line as WABI SABI and ONLY LOVE. The songs are stale and crushingly meaningless, forcing the finale to be overall a boring listen.

Unfortunately, The Ting Tings third album fell far short of what fans have come to expect from the duo.

The entire album is entirely forgettable, and there isn't a single track worth a listen all the way through. It's a major disappointment.