"Giddy Stratospheres" was a 7-inch single only release by Sheffield band

the Long Blondes The Long Blondes are an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing ...

. It was released on 29 November 2004, on Angular Records. The single was accompanied by two B-sides, "Polly" and "Darts". The single was re-released in 2007 and was the third major label single from their debut album, ''

Someone to Drive You Home ''Someone To Drive You Home'' is the debut album by The Long Blondes. It was released on November 6, 2006. It received widespread critical praise and was placed 7th in the ''NMEs best 50 albums of 2006 lisand features in many other best of lists ...

''. The single peaked at number 37 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Both versions were very well received by critics.

Music and structure

"Giddy Stratospheres" is a fast-tempo song, at 136

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

(bpm), and in the key of

B major B major (or the key of B) is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its ...

for the verses. For the chorus, it switches to a slightly faster tempo (142 bmp) and changes to a key of

E-flat major E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...

. Its style combines

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

. The main chord pattern of the verse alternates between G sharp minor and B major triads, the chorus switching to A-flat major, F minor and C minor. The song is in a standard verse-chorus form, with a

modulating In music, modulation is the change from one tonality ( tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature (a key change). Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

before and after each chorus. The song features indie rock instrumentation, using a call-and-answer motif between the bass and guitar, described by

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

as "the oldest trick in the book".

Reception

Upon both of its releases, "Giddy Stratospheres" received positive reviews from music critics. On its initial release in 2004,

were critical of its lo-fidelity recording but remarked it was "well worth pushing through the initial barrier of the recording quality to get at the song underneath." In its 2006 review of ''Someone to Drive You Home'', ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' gave the song a positive review, writing that "'Giddy Stratospheres' sees Jackson dispatch acid sentiments about a 'boring' love rival in an accent that could cut glass." These sentiments were echoed by Fraser McAlpine from

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

who gave the song a 4-stars review describing "shards of guitar and shrieks so sharp they could have someone's eye out. " A review by ''

Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...

'' was mixed, saying that the song stretched Jackson's voice "to its grating limits" but praised lyricist Dorian, describe his narrative-led song writing "as compelling as anything on (Arctic Monkeys') '' Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not''"."Someone To Drive You Home"

. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2010.

2004 track listing

All lyrics written by Dorian Cox, music by The Long Blondes. *

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

# Side A "Giddy Stratospheres" # Side B "Polly" # Side B "Darts"

2007 track listing

All lyrics written by Dorian Cox, music by the Long Blondes. * CD # Track 1 "Giddy Stratospheres" # Track 2 "All Bar One Girls" *7-inch # Side A "Giddy Stratospheres" # Side B "I'm Coping" *7-inch # Side A "Giddy Stratospheres" # Side B "Never to Be Repeated"

References

{{authority control 2004 singles 2007 singles The Long Blondes songs 2004 songs Songs written by Dorian Cox