An electropop earworm determined to infect all of humanity.

 

I’ve been having some (Taffy) trouble for the last week or so. I’d come down with a strong case of dizzying musical headaches, intense nausea and a strangely erratic heartbeat. Diagnosis revealed that I’d become host to an irritating earworm, which had begun to give me acute plastic pop poisoning.

To blame for this frustratingly enjoyable parasite are Taffy Trouble, whose debut Backseat Driver is deliriously vibrant electropop coloured with E129 food colouring. It’s the perfect example of the earworm, which is – for those who have never listened to Carley Rae Jepsen – a song that worms its way into your brain and refuses to budge. They’re outrageously catchy and infectious, which is great from a pop perspective but in some cases could result in increased alcohol dependency.

Taffy Trouble double the impact by weaving the earworm phenomenon into music that playfully winks at the PC music sound, with the outcome being what feels like a digitalisation of The Ting Tings. Combine that with a brat-pop, know-it-all tone of the vocal and you will thoroughly hate every second that you spend hypnotically enjoying this track.

The chorus is perfect. Simple, (sickly) sweet and mesmerising, it not only gets into your head but it’s memorable and short enough that, once in your mind, it will play on loop. Not even all of the song. Just the damn chorus.

Day 8 and I’m yet to find freedom from the sound.

If symptoms persist please consult your physician.