The Long Blondes were the kitchen sink indie heroes of the 2000s and Kate Jackson is the closest there has been to a female Jarvis Cocker. Giddy Stratospheres is a wittily demure crystallization of early 80s New Wave and the sophisticated side of Britpop (if there was one) with 60s girl group call and response backing vocals. A wry warning shot to an unidentified other on the danger and inevitable dissatisfaction of spending too much time on a faux femme-fatale.
One of the peaks of 2006 debut LP Someone To Drive You Home, the remastered version of Giddy Stratospheres does rejuvenate the audio with added handclaps but after the recent release of the British independent movie of the same name, part of the motivation for this release could simply be to remind the world this much neglected classic does in fact exist.
The Rough Trade band have announced a reissue release of ‘Someone To Drive You Home’ on December 10th 2021 featuring an additional 11 b-side tracks. If you’d like to pre-order it you can do so here.
Edge of Arcady 