Credit: Found On Internet

A man thrust a copy of The Late Greats’ 7” for “Destroy My Brain” into the hood of my coat while I was having a Christmas pint in The Old Blue Last, prime Old Street bastion of those cooler-than-thou kids. And in amongst all the shenanigans that Christmas brings, it was left to gather dust until it was uncovered as I picked up bits of wrapping paper and chucked out the festive detritus. I gave it a bit of a dust off and slapped it on.

While the a-side is nothing special – a bit of Art Brut shouting, some deconstructed art rock verses, and airs of Bloc Party-gone-back-to-basics for the chorus, the b-side, “Don’t Rely On Me” is a slice of lo-fi genius, perfect to fill the gaps between those seasonal binges. If Athlete hadn’t decided to start make music suitable only for drinking cocoa in comfy armchairs to, they might’ve gone on to make records like this.

Buy it, download it, or go hang around a pub in East London till someone gives it to you.

A-Side: 2.5 out of 5
B-Side: 4 out of 5

“Destroy My Brain” by The Late Greats is out now on Izumi Records.