“This is what democracy sounds like!” chant Le Tigre on “New Kicks”, their cut-up tribute to the spirit of the Stop The War coalition, and, on the basis of This Island, you have to conclude that democracy often sounds like Poly Styrene fronting Transvision Vamp. Newly signed to Island, with more RAM for their laptop ramalamadingdong, the group sound as vengeful, slick and sharp as The Shangri-Las produced by Connie Plank on the outstanding “Tell You Now”. But too much here is self-congratulatory sloganeering, with a pyjama party karaoke cover of “I’m So Excited” a notable low.
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