Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, February 4
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: KANYE WEST feat CHRIS MARTIN – HOMECOMING: Critics may have been disappointed by some aspects of Kanye West’s latest album Graduation, but there’s no doubting that in Stronger and now Homecoming he’s put together two barnstorming tracks. This latest release is notable for featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, whose distinct vocal style works well in tandem with West’s no-nonsense rapping style. The bouncing piano melody and oh-so subtle backbeat make this a very different hip-hop offering to the norm – and all the more worthy of our attention as a result. It boasts genuine crossover appeal and will probably find a home with just as many Coldplay fans as it does with West’s entourage. Interestingly, this is the second time Martin has leant his vocal support to a hip-hop legend: the first time was with Jay-Z on the equally memorable Beach Chair, from the Kingdom Come LP.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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BIFFY CLYRO – WHO’S GOT A MATCH?: Biffy Clyro come over all Queens of The Stone Age with the rousing album favourite Who’s Got A Match?, a cheeky foot-stomper that’s sure to go down a storm in live form. With a chorus that declares “I’m on fire and I burn, burn, burn tonight”, and a guitar section that does seem deliberately lifted from Josh Homme’s songbook, it’s a fun, brief reminder of why last year’s album Puzzle was such a critically acclaimed success for them. The rock out section midway through is genuinely rousing. 2007 was a terrific year for Biffy Clyro, which saw them supporting the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Muse among others. They also, ironically, supported Queens of the Stone Age and Editors on their US jaunts last autumn. Expect them to feature prominently once again in 2008.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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30 SECONDS TO MARS – FROM YESTERDAY: 30 Seconds To Mars – the band fronted by actor Jared Leto – release From Yesterday from their album A Beautiful Lie. The track is a bombastic slow-builder that takes the same form of epic scope of Angels & Airwaves and really goes for it during the loud choruses. The track recently reached No.1 on the US Modern Rock Chart and is the sort of offering that a radio station like K-ROQ would love to play and play and play. It is rousing but one suspects the best is yet to come from 30 Seconds To Mars. The video was made by reclusive Danish director Bartholomew Cubbins, who they worked with previously on the Kubrick inspired, award-winning video for The Kill. It continues the epic scope first introduced in that video by switching between present-day North America and Emperor-period China. Lasting nearly 14 minutes, with a strong narrative and intermittent dialogue, it’s more of a short film than a music video but well worth checking out!
Rating: 3 out of 5
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MORRISSEY – THAT’S HOW PEOPLE GROW UP: Morrissey paves the way for his forthcoming greatest hits release by dropping the single That’s How People Grow Up, a reflective effort of coming-of-age angst that encompasses such universal themes as love, loss and hardship (“let me live before I die”). In truth, it’s a fairly generic offering for the former Smiths frontman – catchy, well delivered vocally and boasting some good guitar riffs. But there’s that nagging feeling that he’s capable of much better and this could well be a filler (or obligatory new track) to make the greatest hits LP more attractive. The single is being released in several formats: the CD is backed with The Last of The Famous International Playboys as recorded at The Orpheum Theater, Nebraska in May 2007; a 7” version is backed by The Boy With The Thorn In His Side that was recorded at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in October 2007, and another 7” is backed with Why Don’t You Find Yourself that was recorded live at Thanksgiving Point in Salt Lake City in October 2007.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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MARK BROWN feat SARAH CRACKNELL – THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: This is destined to become a huge hit thanks to its recent exposure as part of the Lloyds TSB advertising campaign (you know, the one featuring the weird animated people and the voiceover from Jimmy Carr). In advert form, it’s pretty stripped back with Cracknell’s hypnotic vocals over the subtlest of melodies. This beefed up single unfolds into a proper song that’s backed by a fairly generic dance beat. But given that it reminds me of classic Everything But The Girl and drops in that Lloyds TSB sample at several times throughout, it’s a better than average contemporary dance-pop release that’s strangely addictive. You’ll be copying the “oh uh oh uh oh uh” chorus for hours on end afterwards but it’s not a bad little melody to have in your head.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
KORN – HOLD ON: Korn release the second single from their untitled album in the form of Hold On, another typically menacing piece of power rock that’s certain to go down a storm with fans (and not many others!). Described as “a song of empowerment”, the message in Hold On stems from Jonathan Davis’s near-fatal blood disorder in 2006. Munky describes it as “the closest thing to an original Korn song” due to its rhythm and it’s notable for being one of four songs on the long-player to feature Brooks Wackerman, of Bad Religion, on drunms. It’s pretty decent if this style of rock is your type of thing – and certainly Korn at their most radio-friendly – but you probably have to own a lot of dark clothing to really dig it best. The video features the band in a rodeo setting and with Munky and Jonathan trying to “hold on” to their bulls in order to win a bullriding contest. It’s dedicated to late bullrider Lane Frost, who died on July 30, 1989, as a result of the injuries he sustained after dismounting a bull.
Rating: 3 out of 5
BLOOD RED SHOES – YOU BRING ME DOWN: Blood Red Shoes are a two-piece from Brighton who look to get 2008 off to a flying start with the blistering new single You Bring Me Down. Taken from their debut album (which they finished at the end of last year and hope to release in the spring), it’s a no-nonsense, unfussy effort that’s all about life’s harder elements (“I don’t why I can’t function” and “it’s not easy”). Laura-Mary Carter’s vocals are gutsy, the guitars crisp and lively and the pounding drums sure to make people jump up and down on the dancefloor. If they continue to deliver music this immediate and catchy, then 2008 could see them explode in a very big way.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
RIHANNA – DON’T STOP THE MUSIC: Rihanna’s Don’t Stop The Music has already entered the top 5 based on downloads alone, so she could well be looking at another No.1 now that it’s going physical. The track is another vocally distinctive dancefloor filler (complete with a cheeky Michael Jackson sample) that bounces along in supremely upbeat fashion, without ever really stretching the singer’s talents. It’s catchy, for sure, but equally throwaway. Umbrella remains her finest effort from current album Good Girl Gone Bad but you won’t mind listening to this when it comes on the radio. In what is proving to be a prolific period for Rihanna commercially, one thing that people might not know about her (and probably should) is that she also has her own charity, Believe, which supports children with terminal illnesses. It’s a worthy cause and one she deserves maximum credit for.
Rating: 1 out of 5
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DAVID JORDAN – SUN GOES DOWN: David Jordan is being billed as Britain’s hottest new songwriting and while that’s getting a little carried away, new single Sun Goes Down – from debut album Set The Mood – is a half decent pop song that combines Eastern rhythms and percussion with a light, breezy pop feel. It’s been done before, of course, but the percussion makes for a pretty compelling listen and Jordan’s vocals are very vibrant. The 21-year-old London born singer wowed millions when he performed a spectacular version of the song on the Royal Variety Show and should break into the Top 10 without even breaking sweat now that it’s finally released physically into stores. Less effective is B-side Finest Of Ways, which resorts to more cheesy pop territory. But it’s still confident enough to suggest that Jordan has a bright future ahead of him.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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WET WET WET – WEIGHTLESS: The latest track to emerge from Wet Wet Wet’s most recent album Timeless is the rather tiresome Weightless, a formulaic and actually quite manipulative ballad that finds Marti Pellow assuming classic crooner form. Radio 2 listeners might fall for the sweet melodies and yearning vocals – particularly as Valentine’s is just around the corner – but it’s efforts like this that only give rise to the suspicion that Wet Wet Wet are way past their prime. The album itself, Timeless, does contain some fairly decent moments that hint at a new direction – but its notable that of the singles released thus far, most seem to be playing to formula and not taking any risks at all.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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MICHAEL JACKSON feat WILL.I.AM – THE GIRL IS MINE 2008: As Michael Jackson’s seminal Thriller album prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, an extended release has been put together that features contemporary guests on key tracks. Hence, Fergie crops up on Beat It, Akon appears on Wanna Be Startin’ Something and another Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am duets with Jacko on The Girl Is Mine in place of Sir Paul McCartney. The result? It turns one former classic into a fairly lacklustre retread that’s the musical equivalent of a pointless movie remake. You can understand why Jackson would want to cash in as he tries to make a comeback but going back and undoing previously great works – that have stood the test of time – is not the way to go about it.
Rating: 1 out of 5
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HELEN BOULDING – COPENHAGEN: Helen Boulding might not be a name known to many as yet. But she’s been busy getting her name known and has courted the attention of some very big names. Last year, for instance, she toured Europe with Bryan Ferry and, as a singer, guested on the title track from The Orb’s new album The Dream, which she also co-wrote. Other songwriting collaborations include Simon Tong (The Good, The Bad & The Queen, The Verve), Squeeze’s Chris Difford, and Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright, the latter of whom was persuaded out retirement by Boulding for the collaboration. She’s also been composing her own material, the first fruits of which are single Copenhagen, a powerful ballad that succeeds in showcasing a fine set of vocals and some image-laden lyrics. There’s a country twang to some of the song that’s neatly offset by some electric guitar late on, while comparisons with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Maria McKee don’t seem out of place. Helen looks as though she’s one to watch and her debut album, New Red Dress follows on February 11.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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NADA SURF – I LIKE WHAT YOU SAY: The first single from Nada Surf’s eagerly anticipated fifth album Lucky is the upbeat and extremely likeable I Like What You Say. Driven by some melodic guitar riffs and a fine set of upbeat vocals (“I only want to make you happy”), this offers a little ray of sunshine on a cold February day (transporting you to sun-drenched California whenever you plug it into your ears). The album was co-produced by the band and John Goodmanson (Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney) and it was recorded in Seattle at Robert Lang Studios, where artists like Nirvana, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters and Dave Matthews have worked in the past. It features a host of great artists make guest appearances, including Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard, Ed Harcourt, John Roderick, of the Long Winters, and guitarist Phil Wanderscher, of Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter. We like the sound of I Like What You Say and can confidently predict the album will be a bit of a corker!
Rating: 4 out of 5
SIMPLE PLAN – WHEN I’M GONE: Simple Plan are poised to make their long-awaited comeback with the eponymous album on February 18 (through Lava/Atlantic Records). It’s preceded by the single When I’m Gone (out digitally February 4 and physically on Feb 11). And in typically rocky fashion, it’s a lively, charismatic comeback that pretty easily infects the subconscious and gets you nodding along in appreciation. The opening of the track drips with atmosphere and synths and – just momentarily – makes you think they may have altered their style dramatically. But by the time the song reaches its rousing chorus, Simple Plan are once again firing on all cylinders and it feels like they’ve never been away. The “whoo hoo” rush of the backing vocals is certain to be copied emphatically when they take the album on the road.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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STARS – MIDNIGHT COWARD: Stars are a Canadian indie pop band that were originally formed in Toronto by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman. They subsequently relocated to New York and then to Montreal. Their music has been described as “beautiful, eloquent indie pop”, and is driven by lush instrumentation and soft boy-girl vocals, most notably featuring new recruit and singer-guitarist Any Millan. They’re currently in the middle of a new tour of the UK following their sold-out Scala appearance last November and have released new single Midnight Coward to remind people of why they’re so good. The track is a lush, laidback record that trades very well on that boy-girl vocal delivery and some wonderfully breezy melodic hooks. It’s sure to become a favourite on the live circuit and is another highlight from the critically acclaimed album In Our Bedroom After The War.
Rating: 4 out of 5
NOTHING RHYMES WITH ORANGE – HOSPITAL: While the internet reveals that the closest thing to rhyme with orange is the rather mundane “porridge”, you have to ask yourself what led this zesty Miami-based quartet to dub themselves as such. Such intrigue is an ideal cloak for Nothing Rhymes with Orange, who have supported everyone from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to The Kills and The Raveonettes. Their full UK single release, double A-single Hospital / The Spy, is released on February 4 via Leftfield Recordings / Aucoin Globe Entertainment and it’s a decent introduction that combines grittiness and simplicity with a whiff of Echo & the Bunnymen and James. The guitar work from Rich Coccaro is a particularly strong feature but brother Carl’s vocals are still emphatic and lend themselves well to the lyrics that speak of hospitals and darker espionage. Incredibly, Nothing Rhymes With Orange are lucky to be with us. After making a major impact on the American College and CMJ charts, the band were nearly done when lead singer Carl was critically injured in a life-altering car crash in 2006. Finally nearing the road to recovery, they’re now ready to explode in a big way. One suspects that the hope that’s evident throughout Hospital’s lyrics was inspired by Carl’s own experiences.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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