Much of Someone to Drive You Home was a thrilling Elastica impersonation, but The Long Blondes never took that extra leap towards actually emulating Wire like their 90's heroes did. This "Couples" track finishes the thought quite nicely. Dance producer Erol Alkan's guidance has lead to a darker follow up in general and "Round the Hairpin" is by far its bleakest triumph. The song's queasy repetitive quality gives it a feel not unlike something like "Being Sucked in Again" from the afforementined post-punk legend's own immortal sophomore disc <em>Chairs Missing</em>. Kate Jackson's voice is perpetually whispering here, sounding too afraid of the careening car she's stuck inside to catch the breath necessary for a full-blooded scream. The lyrics are a continual loop, "round the hairpin/ we go speeding/ in a rented car/ don't let me die." There's so much tension packed into its stuttering beats and wheezing synth melodies that she could just as easily be  reciting "oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit..."