Smooth textures and quirky cleverness mark “Uncomplimentary” from Bikini Test Failure

By Vlad, Rock At Night Detroit

Single Review: Bikini Test Failure’s ” Uncomplimentary”- Blague (“Blag”) Records

The product of the fertile imagination of Macunian James Hill, Bikini Test Failure returns after a 10-year hiatus with new single “Uncomplimentary.”

Dressed up sonically in a brassy, slightly baroque pop arrangement, the song examines passive/aggressive insolence and jealousy through a stream of neurotic, insecure wordplay.

We all know smooth-skinned reptiles, but how many of them are so outrageous to utter lines like “I wish U well / Just as long as you’re nowhere near as good as me”?

The atmosphere evoked here is a welcome return to the eminently listenable playground of Britpop-era Dodgy and even the Divine Comedy.

“Uncomplimentary” is quirky, ironic, and, ultimately, charming.