Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, August 25
IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: BIFFY CLYRO – MOUNTAINS: Biffy Clyro return with the epic new single, Mountains, their first new material since the release of 2007’s acclaimed Puzzle LP. And on the evidence of this, they’re going from strength to strength. Produced by veteran Garth Richardson (of Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers fame), this boasts some vibrant verses, meaty guitar work and a gigantic chorus (“I am a mountain, I am the sea, you can’t take that away from me”) that’s designed to inspire and rouse their fan-base (and plenty of other people besides). There’s tempo changes galore, expertly-delivered guitar solos, some fine interwoven keyboards and a brilliant sense of timing. All in all, it’s terrific to have them back!
Rating: 4 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: FEEDER – TRACING LINES/SILENT CRY: One of the firm highlights to emerge from Feeder’s latest long-player is Tracing Lines – a breezy, summery piece of guitar-pop that positively sparkles with energy and cute guitar licks. It’s effortlessly catchy and genuinely feelgood with the sort of take-notice central riff that is their trademark. It’s a firm live favourite and quite clearly the sound of a band who have re-discovered their sense of vibrancy and urgency. The video for Tracing Lines was directed by the award-winning El Skid and features cutting edge camera techniques and editing. It’s also backed by the title track from the album, Silent Cry, which successfully mixes strings and guitars with lines like “oh my God what have I done?” and a stonking chorus. Feeder have just returned from Japan where Silent Cry has received heavy radio rotation. Indeed, it’s popularity is thought to be enhanced by the fact it is also the name of a hugely popular Nobel prize winning Japanese author called Oe Kenzaburo.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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KATY PERRY – I KISSED A GIRL: Twenty-three-year-old singing sensation Katy Perry has already stormed to the top of the UK charts with this new single off the back of downloads alone. It’s not immediately apparent why. I Kissed A Girl certainly offers some breezy, even cheeky, pop-rock that’s also a little grittier than normal for this angst-ridden kind of thing. But it’s really not that special – a guilty pleasure kind of listen that fails to leave much of a lasting impression despite being fun while it’s on. Perry, however, could well be with us for a little while longer if she fulfils the potential that certainly seems to be lying within. I Kissed A Girl is taken from the debut album, One For The Boys, which drops on September 15.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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MYSTERY JETS – HALF IN LOVE WITH ELIZABETH: Off the back of releasing one of the singles of the year – in the form of Young Love – and the follow-up hit Two Doors Down, The Mystery Jets now release another catchy little gem in the form of Half In Love With Elizabeth. An easy fan favourite, courtesy of its der-der-der-da intro, the song is another cute little showcase for the band’s clever lyricism and jovial melody-making. The song itself is about the dangers of falling for and trusting a man who loves another, even when friends discourage you from doing so (“the bubble will burst”). Across the formats (digital, CD and 7”), the package comes complete with Disco Liz, a feel-good disco version featuring vocals from Kate Nash. Other bonus tracks include Florence and the Machine’s take on Flakes, a live version of Two Doors Down as performed on Jo Whiley’s live lounge and new tracks Sand In The Jar and Back Door.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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LYKKE LI – BREAKING IT UP: Swedish starlet Lykke Li continues to impress with Breaking It Up, the new single from her excellent debut album, Youth Novels. Featuring a child-like backing set of vocals, an insistent, hand-clap beat and some chiming melodies, it’s a giddy break-up anthem in waiting that pretty much encapsulates the kooky, leftfield charm of this engaging new artist. For the record, the sing-along-inducing all-girl choir is formed by Japanese rock band, The Suzan), while the song itself is said to articulate her own restlessness as much as being a literal re-telling of another youthful bout of heartbreak and romantic disillusionment. Or, in her own words: “It’s about me always being the one to leave someone in order to pursue my dreams. It’s about how my creativity is keeping me from having a steady relationship because I’m always thinking about new ideas. I do feel bad for beginning things with people when I know it’s never gonna last. I’ll stay a while, but never for long…” Buy it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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PAUL WELLER – ALL I WANNA DO: The Modfather, Paul Weller, taps into his sensitive side for this new single, All I Wanna Do (Be With You), from his critically-acclaimed 22 Dreams LP. A heartfelt love song, it opens in distinctly bluesy style, before proceeding to layer in the guitars and snare drum backing. Weller sings it like he means it, while the lyrics are frequently quite touching – it’s one for all the hopeless romantics out there. There’s a really good version of the song, as recorded on the BBC’s Culture Show programme, that can currently be viewed on YouTube – it’s well worth giving that version a spin as well.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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THE DANDY WARHOLS – MISSION CONTROL: The Dandy Warhols release Mission Control as the first blast from their latest LP, Earth To The Dandy Warhols, and it pretty much sums up all that’s good and bad about the album. The keyboards have a manic energy that’s quite thrilling, the guitars are as hazy and fantastic as ever, but for some strange reason Courtney Taylor-Taylor has opted to try a gruff new set of vocals that really sound odd. You can, at least, hear what he’s saying (unlike the more psychedelic moments on the LP), but they tend to be distracting in the same way that Tim Burgess’ were when he suddenly went falsetto with The Charlatans. Mission Control is by no means a terrible offering, just nowhear near the best that the Dandy Warhols have to offer, and a long way short of being one of the hit-and-miss new LP’s best tracks.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? – DAWN OF THE DEAD: Does It Offend You, Yeah are one of those bands who have a happy knack of releasing very good singles – tracks that are invariably a great deal better than most of the tracks on the album. Dawn Of The Dead is a classic case in point, a euphoric slice of synth pop that wears its ’80s influence shamelessly on its sleeve. It’s arguably the most accesible track on the album and a real guilty pleasure of a listen that leaves you wondering why there’s not more of it. The synths are lush and vibrant, the vocals crisp and lively, while the overall vibe is strong enough to get you dancing within about two or three listens. You’ll be thinking about Brat Pack movies and outlandish wardrobes for some time afterwards.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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ALPHABEAT – BOYFRIEND: More hopeless pop cheese from Copenhagen’s Alphabeat – albeit with a more threatening edge. Boyfriend is basically a pop-tastic warning song that pleads with its subjects not to touch “my boyfriend”. It’s a foot-stomping, finely tuned slice of high-octane pop that revels in its ability to combine cheese with mainstream sensibilities. And while it does have a certain easy accessibility and catchiness to it, this latest offering from the This Is Alphabeat album isn’t one of the highlights and struggles to compare favourably with the likes of breakthrough hits Fascination and 10,000 Nights. Indeed, the suspicion lingers that they could sound very old, very quickly.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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NICK HARRISON – OI RUDE BOY: Nick Harrison intends to give the laidback beach life of Folkestone a beat to be proud of. His sunshine-flecked, ska-splattered sing-a-long Oi Rude Boy is released as a limited edition 7” and download single only on August 25, 2008 through A&M Records. But while there’s no denying it has a sunshine, even reggae vibe, it’s amiable without being essential. Harrison possesses a nice set of vocals, a keen ear for a snappy, sing-along chorus, and an easygoing reggae vibe – but he needs to deliver something a little more emphatic to really grab hold of people’s attention (and keep it). That said, he’s already been tipped to break through in ’08 by Q magazine, who place his fiercely feel good sounds somewhere between The Arctic Monkeys and The Police. Who knows… Harrison’s debut album One Drop, is currently due to be hitting stores in early 2009, and was produced by Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Baby Shambles, Kate Nash) and Salaam Remi (Nas, Fugees, Amy Winehouse), and mixed by none other than Dr Dre’s right hand man Jimmy Douglas.
Rating: 3 out of 5
GLASVEGAS – DADDY’S GONE: You can always count on Glasvegas to add a little sombre melancholia to the summer season – still, there has to be something to dig out and play whenever it rains (which is really quite often!). Latest single Daddy’s Gone is a heartbreaking lament about coping with the difficulty of the break-up of a family that’s delivered in a mock ‘50s style (complete with “why-yi-yi” wailing midway through). You won’t feel particularly uplifted, even if you do manage to sing-along, but there’s no denying that the song does boast a lasting quality and will resonate with anyone that’s ever been unlucky enough to experience such a break-up. Pained but not painful, this is Glasvegas at their best.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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REX THE DOG – I CAN SEE YOU, CAN YOU SEE ME?: Rex The Dog proudly lay claim to making cool electronic music you can bop to. Admittedly, Rex is a little obsessed with synthesizers from the ‘70s, but this hasn’t stopped him being asked to remix tracks for the likes of Robyn, Goldfrapp, Soulwax and Depeche Mode. Hence, new single I Can See You, Can You See Me? comes loaded with expectation… and disappoints to a certain degree. It’s catchy in a kooky, electro kind of way and vaguely reminiscent (certainly vocally) of The Beloved. But it lacks much bite, is as repetitive as a barking dog left alone at night, and eventually underwhelms more than it inspires. Still, the artwork is cool, the video demands to be seen and there’s some snappy, ‘80s-styled remixes that take the track in a few interesting directions.
Rating: 3 out of 5
ROOTS MANUVA – AGAIN + AGAIN: Roots Manuva releases the second single from his forthcoming new album, Slime & Reason, in the form of the catchy Again & Again. Billed as a summery blast of warmth and humour with a simple message to impart – that you don’t have to be a plastic, manufactured Pop Idol to make popular music – it’s definitely the sound of Rodney Smith at his best. Sadly, it’s one of the rare highlights on an otherwise disappointing LP. Proof of his diversity, though, lies in the fact that the single and album versions of the song are different. On the LP, it’s built around a classic Manuva production and Captain Pugwash keyboard, while the single version was dreamt up by Shy-FX. The man took a day off from drum ‘n’ bass rollouts to add a full horn section and general liveliness to ensure that Roots has an even bigger carnival vibe. It’s really quite infectious.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
MANDA RIN – DNA: Manda Rin, formerly a member of Bis, releases her first solo single from her debut LP, in the form of My DNA. What’s instantly notable is the fact that she has chosen to continue dabbling in the disco-punk genre, albeit drawing on a strong guitar pop edge. By her own admission, Rin’s new direction has been influenced by the likes of CSS, The Gossip and New Young Pony Club and could well appeal to followers of those particular groups/artists. But it pales by comparison to most, sounds more than a little dated (courtesy of its ‘80s edge and repetitive loops), and is really something of a disappointment. When Manda Rin sings of “making the same mistakes”, you tend to hope she won’t fall into the same trap when writing future solo singles.
Rating: 2 out of 5
MILEY CYRUS – SEE YOU AGAIN: American pop sensation Miley Cyrus attempts to break away from her good-girl Disney Channel image with the release of the pop-rock effort See You Again, taken from the album Breakout. In truth, though, it’s a pretty excruciating listen couched in the type of polished production values that are geared towards easy chart success. The guitar riffs suggest edgy, but the sentiment is decidedly warm and Cyrus’ youthful vocals lack the sort of Pink-like conviction she seems to be hoping for. It’ll be huge among her loyal fans, but this is generic, formulaic and pretty tame stuff. Don’t be fooled by the supposedly new image – we can wait to hear you again!
Rating: 2 out of 5
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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS – MIDNIGHT MADNESS: To celebrate the release of their forthcoming best of album, Brotherhood, The Chemical Brothers released new single Midnight Madness as a digital download on August 18. Without ever coming close to their best work, it’s still a pretty funky slice of pop-embracing big-beat madness that sounds like it could kick off quite a storm at the midnight party scene. The funky electronics, boy-girl vocal samples and easygoing vibe make it a clever crossover track that’s more than capable of appealing to big-beat, indie and Ibiza dance fans. Indeed, it grows on you the more times you hear it. True to Chemical Brothers form, Tom and Ed recently offered their loyal fans the chance to give something back. In a completely unprecedented move, fans can now contribute their own vision to the Chems’ glittering nocturnal world: by taking part in a unique, all-encompassing global video project using the Google Earth application. By making a short film or photograph that revolved around the theme of Midnight Madness, entrants got to upload their work onto Google Earth via The Chemical Brothers’ website, and tag it to its exact location. The best work is now being edited by ace producers Nexus to form a new concept music video for Midnight Madness, executed through the Google Earth application. The film will then be premiered on The Chemical Brothers’ website and premiered as a YouTube exclusive on the same week as the Best Of album, Brotherhood, is released (on September 1).
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
GYM CLASS HEROES – COOKIE JAR: Gym Class Heroes look to build on the success of their brilliant sophomore album As Cruel As Schoolchildren with the release of Cookie Jar, the debut release from third album, The Quilt (out September 8). Produced by and featuring The Dream, who has worked with Rihanna and Chris Brown recently, it’s a slick collection of pop-driven hip-hop that demonstrates Gym Class Heroes’ ability to appeal to several genres at once. They exist to have fun, so while the backbeat is kick-ass cool and capable of appealing to ardent hip-hoppers, there’s a genuine sense of fun in the lyrics that even could be said to be poking fun at Madonna’s recent attempts to open her own musical Candy Store. Arguably, this is more effortlessly hip than the opening track on the Queen of Pop’s album. It’s really good to have Travis McCoy and company back – and we can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. Just indulge! The track is available to download from August 25, and out physically in stores on September 1.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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WILL MARTIN – SO FAR AWAY: At only 23, Will Martin has already packed in a lifetime of paying dues. From school musicals, playing piano in bars, waiting tables, corporate entertaining and singing in rock bands to singing the New Zealand National Anthem in front of a sold out All Blacks crowd – Will has done it all. He now releases his debut single, So Far Away, for Universal Classics and Jazz. Taken from the forthcoming album A New World, the song displays an epic sense that’s both theatrical and cinematic in scope. Will’s vocals impress and are very mature for his age, but the song itself is a weighty, slightly too measured offering, that really tries a little too hard to tick all the right boxes. It’s supposed to inspire, but it doesn’t really come close. It’s a show song in need of a show, one feels…
Rating: 2 out of 5
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