Doin' the splits

If ever a band deserved to take centre stage on a record all of its own it's the The Hobbes Fanclub.  It's bound to happen very soon but until it does I'll content myself with wearing out their split singles: a 3" cd-r pairing with Young Michelin (Cloudberry) and a (soon to be released) 7" with Leach Me Lemonade (Dufflecoat).  Although they don't physically occupy separate sides of a piece of vinyl, their contributions to both records feel like they were intended to; with propulsive guitars and instant melodies, "Outside Myself" and "The Boy From Outer Space" sound like natural A-sides while the more subdued "And Just Like That" and "Love From The Stars" would make neat flips.  In recent years there can't have been many more glorious first singles than "Outside Myself" (I mean, what a solo!) and if there's a song with a more thrilling change of gear than happens 1 min 29 seconds into "The Boy From Outer Space" this year  I'll have to book a few hours in a flotation tank to calm down.