- Glass Candy's new 12-inch starts out with a near-miss approximation of the melody from the theme song to Doogie Howser, M.D., and it only gets better from there. That it reminds of an indelible tune from the '80s gets you close to the appeal of Glass Candy in general: Brutally simple and unforgettable melodies are Johnny Jewel's stock-in-trade, whether he's placing them over druggy disco, shimmering hip-hop or—in the case of the band a few years ago—angular no wave. Jewel has a knack for paring things down to their essential elements, something you can hear easily on the two instrumental versions here.
In most cases, though, you have singer/moaner/talker Ida No predictably finding the most ridiculous things in the world to sing/moan/talk about. She talks to her ego on "Covered in Bugs" about how people couldn't see the color blue 2,000 years ago. Ponders the difference between a piece of garbage and a man in "Sugar & Whitebread." Says feeling without touching a lot throughout "Feeling Without Touching." Aside from "Sugar & Whitebread"'s saxophone solo, she provides the deliciously weird cherry-on-top to Jewel's otherwise sturdy pop songs. Judging by the contemporaneously released 12-inch from Texan No acolyte Farah, we should be happy to have her around. Gay Boy, and its inane love letter to the titular subject, only does more to remind us why she's a singular talent.
Tracklist 01. Feeling Without Touching
02. Sugar & Whitebread
03. Covered in Bugs
04. Shine Like Gold & Diamonds
05. Sugar & Whitebread (Instrumental)
06. Feeling Without Touching (Instrumental)