The Ting Tings were getting a lot of hype, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. After putting on my new copy of We Started Nothing (the British duo's debut album), I quickly became prepared for disappointment. Let me be very clear about this: the human voice is a wonderful and versatile thing. Musical voice even more so: it can be used to convey emotions hard to reach in the normal speaking voice. That said, I have a serious pet peeve with the sort of sing-songy speek-sing used in much of today's indie pop. And, after all I'd heard about The Ting Tings supposed great melodies, I wasn't about to enjoy a record full of vapid, emotionless, cutesy indie-pop speek-singing.

Thankfully, there are plenty of great melodies on We Started Nothing. Moreover, there are volumes of great beats and musical textures. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a “beat” guy in the traditional sense; I look more to melodies in my pop and rock artists. Beats are great for hip-hop, but if you're in the pop scene and you're not rapping (WELL!!) over your great beats, why not give us a great melody? Lucky for us, The Ting Tings do. At least, in most cases.

Track 2, “That's Not My Name,” shot immediately to the top of the charts in the band's native UK. This song is the one that really got on my nerves at first but, I'll be damned – it really grew on me! The bassline is shades of Tony Basil, and the vocals are actually kind of punky. The attitude isn't totally evident at first but, believe me, it's there. The big hit so far in the US for The Ting Tings is the spanky, funky breakup anthem, “Shut Up And Let Me Go.” This song was used in a popular iPod commercial and, watch TV as much as I do, I hadn't heard it. Still, this is the danciest damn thing I've heard in forever. If only the vocals were a little bit less...talky...

The most notable thing is that playing this album is like listening to a musical collage of new wave pop and funky white people music spanning the past thirty years. From The Talking Heads to Maroon 5, from Kraftwerk to Gorillaz, it's all there. And remember those melodies I spoke of? Dig the inviting mesh of The Go-Go's-meet-The Strokes on “Keep Your Head.” A similar style is evoked on the album's following track, “Be The One.” If the next Ting Tings album features more songs like these two, preorder me a copy now.

We Started Nothing is a misleading title, of course, because this is a very ambitious debut record. Isn't it funny how those things work? There are good and bad selections here. For every slightly embarrassing bit – like the probably accidental “Axel F (Theme From Beverly Hills Cop)” ripoff on “Impacilla Carpisung” - there's an obviously awesome influence, like the “Life During Wartime”-esque melody on the super groovin' “We Walk.”

The somewhat low-fi production gives this album a very unique sound. The percussion and synths are top notch and, though not every track is a classic, the entirety of the album should be listenable to most indie pop fans. Granted, some will be very annoyed. Others will get a lot more from this record than I did. There's only one way to find out. That said, I wonder what would've happened if a little more effort had been put into the melodies and a little less into the marketing. It's a solid album, and will have great appeal to many, but I get the feeling it could've been much better.

3 cheap shots out of 5 for The Ting Tings' We Started Nothing.
Stand Out Tracks:
"Be The One"
"Shut Up And Let Me Go"
"That's Not My Name"

Listen to The Ting Tings on Myspace.