One Kids Lunch - Self-Esteem Song (If Not In You)

Hear The Track Here

There's a couple of guys in Texas who obviously know how to keep this reviewer bright eyed and bushy tailed. Known collectively as One Kids Lunch, they burst onto me radar with the delightfully off the wall There's More (May 2006). There definitely was more too because Fly Me (June 2006) and the must have track so far Prayer For The Clueless (July 2006) showed that there is more to this than a bunch of loaves and fishes. Prayer is one of those tracks I can garantee you will never get tired of hearing. With it's very strong Beatle influence and caustic lyrical wit, it was always a shoo in for a Must Have rating and time has only made it more so.

But you are only as good as your last trick right? ;)

The reason these three tracks attracted my attention beyond the music and the musical references was the bright, clean production and mix that imbued each of them. The reason I am bringing this up is because Self Esteem Song is - to my ears - somewhat duller than the three I have already reviewed. You will this track further down the band's page too. All of which would suggest that this is an older track, and if that is the case seems kinda pointless to witter on about technical bollock-malarky. After all, can't be doing with that kind of thing, can we?

Musically, SE Song is slightly less powerful in both tone and character than any of the tracks I have reviewed. Maybe it would benefit from a re-working but I doubt it, it does sound like a peice that was very much of the moment. Nonetheless, that fine pop sensibility that is this bands prime asset informs all of it's three minutes plus ça change. I admit that at this stage I am a confirmed One Kids Lunch fan (that's f-a-n btw, not van as in lunchvan) and I dare say quite a few of you are too. In which case, this is like looking back at what they did before except less sharp, less knowing and - yes - less effective. No matter, it won't stop me recommending it because when OKL rock out, they do it so, so well.

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