Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, February 22, 2010
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: BROKEN BELLS – THE HIGH ROAD: Broken Bells, the new band featuring Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins, release their debut single The High Road on Columbia Records on limited edition 7” vinyl on Monday, February 22, and to download from Monday, March 8. As a first taster from the band’s self-titled debut album, The High Road showcases a sound that is rich in texture as gentle acoustic strumming intersperses with delicate electronic swathes and hypnotic drums. Written and self-produced by Danger Mouse and James Mercer, it’s a sublime introduction to one of the most eagerly anticipated musical collaborations in years. And to say that it doesn’t disappoint is an understatment. Laidback, effortlessly beautiful and one of the most feelgood listens of the year so far, it really gets you excited for the rest of the album. Mercer’s distinct vocals are a plus, as are Danger Mouse’s typically high production values – this appears to be a match made in heaven!
Released as a limited edition 7” and download
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: WOLFMOTHER – WHITE FEATHER: When Wolfmother get it right, they really get it right (unfortunately, that’s not often enough). Still, new single White Feather – taken from latest album Cosmic Egg – is a blast. With its bluesy lead licks, AC/DC meets Free (Alright Now) stadium-sized chorus, and sing-along, old school rock vibe, it’s a rousing anthem in waiting that’s very definitely one of the highlights from the current LP. We just wish all of their songs could be this vibrant and good. Not that our opinion seems to count too much… Cosmic Egg has surpassed the chart debut for their Grammy-winning first LP around the globe, including the US, Australia, Germany, Canada, France, Ireland, Holland, Austria and more. And as if to underline their increased popularity, White Featjer comes back with a number of remixes, from the likes of Sebastien Tellier, Tiedye, Bang Gang and Burns. Of those, Tellier’s redo is suitably trippy, if a little repetitive, Tiedye’s is strangely soulful and laidback and Bang Gang’s Black Leather remix adds a funky backbeat and some extra electronics to lend it dancefloor appeal. None surpass or even come close to the original though.
Released across all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
Order the album l Album review
TURIN BRAKES – SEA CHANGE: It’s been some time in coming but Turin Brakes – aka Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian – have announced the release of a new studio album in the form of Outbursts (out March 1). As a welcome appetiser, they drop the single Sea Change to confirm that while the essential components remain the same (acoustic guitars, appealing vocal delivery, keen sense of melody), the results are just as high quality. Also typical is the intelligence of the lyrics, for while the single drops a breezy acoustic vibe and some slick beats, it’s full of apocalyptic musings such as “six billion backs against the wall”, which sets things rolling, before proceeding to count back like a ticking time-bomb, airing the concerns of those six billion to just one individual – which are, of course, exactly the same. In doing so, they also incoporate some sweeping strings to really announce their comeback in style. We can’t wait to hear the rest of the album!
Released across all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
THE GOOD THE BAD – FROM 005-008: The Good The Bad return with a new EP From 005 – 008 to give us all a new year’s dose of their hip-shaking dirty rock cool. After signing to London’s freshest label Stray Cat Records and successfully releasing their first EP From 001 – 004 late last year, TGTB are set for huge things in 2010! They will be leading the Danish charge at by:Larm (Scandinavia’s biggest music conference in Oslo from February 18-20), have been selected by February’s curator, Bella Union boss Simon Raymonde, to feature on February 25 at JaJaJa, The Lexington, London, then return to play their residency and host another UK launch party for their new EP at Whoreditch, The Brickhouse, London on February 26 and are off to SXSW in March. The Good The Bad are Adam Olsson (Baby Woodrose, The Setting Son) on lead guitar, Johan Lei Gellett (Baby Woodrose, Kira, The Kindred Spirits) on drums and Manoj Ramdas (The Raveonettes, SPEkTR) on baritone guitar. Adam justifies the absence of a lead singer because: “We couldn’t find one that would stand behind the drummer, but we don’t need a vocalist anyway. The music speaks for itself. We use the music so we don’t have to say I Love You.” Not that a lead singer is missed on the evidence of this! The funky, surf-rock riffs are guaranteed to get your hips swinging, and also seem destined for a place on Quentin Tarantino’s record shelf (should he ever fancy a Pulp Fiction sequel). Cool, cool, stuff.
Released as a download
Rating: 4 out of 5
ALPHABEAT – HOLE IN MY HEART: Alphabeat release Hole In My Heart from their sophomore album and continue to impress with their euphoric pop and catchy hooks. Picking up where recent single The Spell left off, this new offering from the Danish six-piece displays both a keen sense of now and a savvy retro knowledge that harks back to the early ‘90s. The euphoric synth and piano sound sweeps the boy-girl vocals along in suitably engaging fashion, ensuring that the dual vocals of Anders SG and Stine Bramsen are enhanced and appealing. The hypnotic beat, meanwhile, is guaranteed to leave you both energised and in a healthy state of bliss. If anything, these guys deserve to be a little bigger than they are at present because at least their striving to do something different and hipper, while working in the mainstream scene.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
ELLIE GOULDING – STARRY EYED: Ellie Goulding is the new great British pop hope, following her high profile selection by the BBC in their beginning of the year talent search, and her subsequent Brit success follow-up. It’s no wonder she’s Starry Eyed with her new single! Alas, and this comes as a genuine blow, I can’t quite understand what the fuss is all about at the moment. The new song features trademark innocent vocals set against a swirling synth-pop sound and talks about young, innocent, unrequited love. It’s fresher than the “let’s copy Lady Gaga” approach being adopted by a lot of new acts at the moment, but it’s also far too poppy and mainstream to really be anything special. In fact, it’s tailor-made to feature as a Brit contender for best single next year then! Her new album, Lights, follows on March 1.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
JLS – ONE SHOT: Fresh from their success at last week’s Brit Awards (where they were named best British breakthrough act), JLS release One Shot from their eponymous debut LP. Needless to say, it’ll be a massive hit owing to the clamour surrounding them having reached fever pitch among their tweenie fan base. But it’s also the type of over-produced, over-delivered and hopelessly earnest songmaking that we’ve come to expect from this boy band. It’s a mid-tempo ballad where every word is dedicated to a love interest (“she is the only one I think about out in my dreams, I’ve waited for so long to get up my courage”), that begins deceptively with a piano intro, before then tossing in a cheesy Ibiza-style synth backdrop that merely adds to the onerous nature of the track. All in all, it’s deeply forgettable… expect we probably won’t be allowed to forget about it.
Released across all formats
Rating: 1 out of 5
Order the album l Album review
MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK – GLASS FIGURES: Building on the successful release of their critically acclaimed Departure EP, Kent-based alt-rock band Motion Picture Soundtrack launch into 2010 with their huge second single Glass Figures though Endgame Records. Produced by Paul Schroeder (The Stone Roses, The Verve), Cenzo Townshend (Editors, Bloc Party, Klaxons) and Bob Ludwig (RATM, Radiohead, Tool…) the single precedes the release of their debut album The Shapes We Fear Are Of Our Own (out March 1) with a thunderous, engaging, Jeff Buckley/Editors/Muse-esque crossover that comes at you in pretty quick fashion. The wailing central guitar riff is particularly effective, and very Editors-esque, while the vocals that flit between falsetto and harder rock edge are pure Muse. It’s dark, heavy and accomplished and kind of bodes well for the release of the forthcoming LP. We now wait with anticipation…
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
FIRST AID KIT – I MET UP WITH THE KING: Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara follow-up the release of their debut album, The Big Black And The Blue with the release of I Met Up With The King, one of its highlights. Inspired by a line from Gram Parson’s Return of the Grievous Angel, I Met Up With the King isn’t about Elvis (or indeed Michael Jackson), but of fallen stars, social outcasts and championing the voiceless. The song displays Johanna and Klara’s surging, crystal clear voices and innate song writing abilities that spans well beyond their tender years. Indeed, they sound really accomplished, while the folksy guitars and belated flutes compliment each other in a nicely dreamy way. Admittedly, the album is an acquired taste and leans more towards the folk brigade, but First Aid Kit are undoubtedly another of Sweden’s class acts.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Order the album l Album review
JAYA – DJ DO IT AGAIN: The PR for Jaya’s debut states that “it’s a milestone that’s been a long time coming” – the arrival of British-Indian artist Jaya with her debut offering, DJ Do It Again. Listening to the commercial pop record that combines the usual synth groove with dancefloor friendly beats, it’s hard to know exactly what’s such a milestone about it. Bland lyrics, generic pop beats and melodies, bog-standard vocals… it’s sub-par Sugababes mixed with the usual Ibiza friendly floor-filler chorus. Jaya does absolutely nothing, vocally, to distinguish herself from countless other dance singers of the moment… meaning that if you were blindfolded and asked to point out what marks her out, you’d be stumped to answer. To coin another phrase from a current pop queen, ‘please Mr DJ, put another record on’… just don’t make it this one!
Released across all formats
Rating: 1 out of 5
KE$HA – BLAH BLAH BLAH: The cynic in me suggests that new pop sensation Ke$ha is riding on the coat-tails of a certain Lady Gaga – that is to say, punchy electro-pop records that are notable for their no-nonsense attitude. Having scored a massive UK hit with TiK ToK, she now drops Blah Blah Blah a lively, if slightly generic, pop record that’s all about female empowerment and girl attitude. The punk energy is also reminiscent of Pink, although the lyrics are a little lightweight if we’re honest. The inclusion of a rapper, as if to emphasise the points she’s making, also feels like an over familiar trick at the moment. It’s catchy, for sure, and the epitome of the term radio-friendly, but you can’t help but feel that other, arguably better, artists have got their first.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB – UNDERCOVER MARTYN: Preceding Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album Tourist History, (out March 1), the hotly-tipped band release their second single Undercover Martyn and continue to impress. Featuring a lively sense of melody, some sharp hooks and the memorable sentiment “and she spoke words that would melt in your hands”, it’s an infectious offering that suggests the hype surrounding them is not misplaced. Indeed, it’s the sort of indie-pop offering that just keeps getting better the more you hear it, while retaining an upbeat sense of hope that is just what we need during this endless winter! More good news.. the band recently announced an additional London date at Heaven on May 26 after selling out Hoxton Bar & Grill on their March UK our in a ridiculously short space of time.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SUGABABES – WEAR MY KISS: The Sugababes are pretty unrecognisable from the trio of sassy singers who first hit the scene, but through various incarnations they’ve managed to stay with pop trends and remain at the forefront of the radio-friendly scene. It’s a neat trick to have pulled off and one that continues with their latest line-up featuring the powerhouse vocals of Jade Ewen, who adds zip to their new single, Wear My Kiss. Admittedly, the indie edge that made them stand out in their early days is a distant memory, replaced instead by that all consuming need to pander strictly to the mainstream and the dance scene. But this track is fun in a frivolous kind of way, displaying the sexiness and sassiness that had begun to disappear prior to their latest self-implosion. Produced by Britney Spears’ knob-twiddler Fernando Garibay, it’s a lively pop thumper that’s sexy and suitably energetic. There’s life in those ‘Babes yet, it seems.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
JASON DERULO – IN MY HEAD: Jason Derülo’s smash hit single Whatcha Say topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart making him one of the world’s biggest new artists. With over 2 million sales in America alone, Derülo repeated his success in the UK when Whatcha Say, one of the biggest airplay hits of 2009, entered the charts at No.3. Now Derülo looks poised to land a second major hit with the release of his new single In My Head. Once again produced by Jason Derülo’s mentor, J.R. Rotem (Rihanna, Leona Lewis), In My Head places far more emphasis on Derülo’s soaring vocal talents, placing them against a rock-pop synth backdrop that’s upbeat if not really that original. Admittedly, Derülo soulful vocals are pretty decent, but the radio friendly production values – while tailored to the grand success he’s so far achieved – do him very few favours with this reviewer. It’s more of the same over-produced material that’s ripe for easy Grammy/Brit Award success, but short on genuine quality and soul.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
GIRLS – MORNING LIGHT: Girls release their third and final single from their critically acclaimed debut album Album in the form of Morning Light. Alas, their brand of full speed ahead, tripped out rock isn’t particularly appealing to us and lacks anything to really distinguish it apart from wailing, incessant noise. It’s the kind of track you feel you should like more, but the vocals are just too droned out by the guitars and the drum beats… making it a stoner offering that’s curiously too fast and too ragged for its own good. The track is available on limited edition heavyweight 7” vinyl/download and comes backed with a cover of Skeeter Davis’ The End Of The World.
Released as a 7” and download
Rating: 2 out of 5
ISAAC’S AIRCRAFT – HEAD TO THE FEET: Cambridgeshire indie band Isaac’s Aircraft return with new single Head To The Feet, the follow-up to Friends And Foes, which saw them reach the Top 30 Indie Singles Chart on BBC Radio 1 in April 2009. A piano-driven rock track that contains echoes of Muse and something decidedly more poppy, it’s a strange offering that never really gets going. The instrumentals are lively and the production values high, but Zak’s vocals sound too slight and the over-reliance on electronics and pianos as opposed to guitars is eventually underwhelming. It’s not terrible, just not memorable. In support of the release, however, Isaac’s Aircraft fans may like to know that another track, Steady On, is being offered as a free download via their website (link below).
Released as a download
Rating: 2 out of 5
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