THE FRAGILE DEFENCE OF WORDS

1. Ocean of Noise, Arcade Fire
The attempt to rhyme “noise” and “voice” sounds like a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors of silent seas, people. Nails on a chalkboard. Dry fingers rubbing styrofoam...

2. Unreleased Backgrounds, The Beach Boys
Fifty seconds of random wordless harmonizing from the Pet Sounds sessions. It has cleansed mine ears...

3. Stutter, Elastica
Well, hello 1995. How have you been? Seen Weezer around?

4. Come and Play in the Milky Night, Stereolab
I think they actually nicked the “come and play” part from the Sesame Street theme, which is wholly appropriate. This is coin of the same realm...

5. Oh, You Pretty Things, David Bowie
I imagine that a line like “Gotta make way for the homo superior” made some newspapers shake down round the pub in 1971. So points for that, DB...