Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Lady Sovereign

9 To 5

Label: Island Release Date: 08/08/2005

9100
thommo by Thomas Blatchford August 4th, 2005

Get ready for the Ess Ohh VEE!! Or rather, get ready to be slightly disappointed. Because whilst ‘9 to 5’ isn’t bad, per se, it’s hardly of the standard you’d expect from Lady Sovereign, the two-step tyke who brought you the burly brilliance of ‘Random’, ‘Ch-Ching’ et al. She seems to be trying to make a 21st century version of The Specials’ ‘Rat Race’ for the McFlurry generation, all lilting offbeat organ stabs and placid horn section, with her whining about the music biz over the top. Instead, it comes across like UB40 trying to cover Basement Jaxx (badly) and with lines like “I’m getting pissed like Pampers” it’s hardly her greatest lyrical performance either. There’s also a “Na na na na etc.” melodic outro too…oh dear. Sort it aaaht!!

However, she is completely redeemed by B-side ‘Tango’, where she does what she does best lyrically – i.e. slag people off – and aims it at girls who wear too much fake tan. “The colour of your bathwater? ORANGE!!” she chants over a militant…uh, tango rhythm, the sort of thing you’d feel threatened by if you weren’t distractedly laughing so hard. “You tried to be Christina so you died your hair black / But really you look like the Vicar of Dibley…on crack.” Normal service is resumed, and hurrah for that.

  • 7
    Thomas Blatchford's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Lethal Bizzle

Uh Oh! (I'm Back)

Mobback
9101

Field Music

Field Music

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • feature


    Nicky Wire on the press, Shirley Bassey, and th...

  • 50002

    Discography Reassessed


    Oeuvre Here: An 18 Album Voyage Through Ringo S...

  • 100438
  • Interview


    Life, Death and Broken Bells - DiS meets James ...

  • 82768

    In Depth


    Fade to black: DiS meets The Horrors

  • 48012
  • feature


    Radiohead's In Rainbows: the fans' verdict

  • 27997
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND