Be Strong

Masterminded by Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and former PR turned DJ Raf Rundell (aka Raf Daddy), The 2 Bears’ debut album Be Strong is a disappointment. Full of self-referential nods and winks, the jaunty ‘Bear Hug’ sounds like a novelty song and is as half-cocked as John Wayne Bobbitt, while ‘Warm & Easy’ is a generic indie dance number that out-stays its welcome pretty quickly. Perhaps the most misguided musical gamble is the use of Raf Daddy’s bassy baritone: at times his contributions are impossible to take seriously. Unless you’re an impassioned devotee of novelty dance à la Scatman John and Rednex, then you might be advised to save your money for the next Hot Chip record.