martin creed Love to You (CD, £9.25)

Turner Prize winner Martin Creed writes direct, compelling songs with the ability to both perturb and amuse. Think... the rhythmic punk of Ian Dury and the wit and pop nous of Glasgow's Postcard Records. 'LOVE TO YOU' - His debut album, is a collection of 18 love and hate songs. Martin Creed and his band were picked this week by The Cribs as the Hottest Band In The World Right Now on NME.com and they invited him to support them on their recent UK tour. Martin Creed is also much loved by Franz Ferdinand - regular attendees at his gigs and co-producers on his album - as well as label-mates Slow Club. Not only is Martin Creed a Turner Prize-winning artist of some renown but with 'LOVE TO YOU' has recorded one of this year's most irresistible albums. It has a total running time of less than 40 minutes and not a second is wasted. From the spitting vitriol of FUCK OFF to the heartfelt title track LOVE TO YOU, this is an album of short, sharp, funny yet touching songs delivered by MARTIN CREED and his band. For MARTIN CREED there is no difference between making music and making art. He is perhaps best known for his Work No.227 “The lights going on and off” and Work No. 850 in which runners ran through the Tate Gallery, and like his art, his music may be disarmingly simple but it makes an immediate impact. Work No. 1197 “All the bells in the country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes” has been commissioned to herald the start of the London Olympics on 27 July 2012. TRACKLISTING: 1. Ooh 2. Thinking/Not Thinking 3. 1234 4. Love To You 5. Die 6. I Can't Move 7. Alphabet 8. Words 9. Be Natural 10. I Can't Stop Thinking About You 11. Feeling Brown 12. Fuck Off 13. Where You Go 14. I Don't Know What I Want 15. Nothing Nothing 16. What's The Point Of It? 17. You're The One For Me 18. Aah