Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, July 14
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: PRIMAL SCREAM – CAN’T GO BACK: Primal Scream return with the euphoric single Can’t Go Back, the exhilarating first track to be taken from their eagerly-anticipated new album Beautiful Future. Produced by Paul Epworth (of Bloc Party fame), Can’t Go Back is a heady dose of brash future-rock, propelled along at light speed by an unstoppable bassline and Bobby Gillespie’s trademark snarl. It’s a real breath of fresh air that serves as the perfect introduction to the new LP: their ninth studio album and their first for B-Unique. A rip-roaring guitar solo late on is also typically rousing, suggesting that the band are at the top of their form. Says Gillespie of the new material: “It’s different from the last record and different from the record before that. You know, there’s not one set Primal Scream song where it’s verse-bridge-chorus-middle-eight. But this album is more like a pop record.” Certainly, the James-like “woo-hoo”-ing late on suggests they’ve re-discovered their inner pop. You’ll be screaming along too.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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LINKIN PARK – LEAVE OUT ALL THE REST: Yet another single to be taken from Linkin Park’s Minutes To Midnight LP, Leave Out All The Rest is another striking example of why they’re currently one of the world’s hottest acts right now. Whether rocking out, keeping things melodic, or teaming up with rappers for singles and tours, they’re a tireless act who clearly don’t like to be pigeon-holed in any one genre. And while metal purists are sure to lament the slushy electronics, strings and falsetto vocals it remains an honest, heartfelt piece of songwriting that’s delivered with genuine passion. Minutes To Midnight was undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2007 and we’re promised a follow-up in super-quick time. Let’s hope it comes soon, as we’re thirsting for new material now.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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KID ROCK – ALL SUMMER LONG: After a little time away, Kid Rock returns to the UK and releases the cheeky new single All Summer Long, taken from the album Rock N Roll Jesus which was released in November and entered the US Billboard charts at No.1. The song is a gleeful summer romp through tried and tested classic American rock conventions that even soundchecks Sweet Home Alabama in some if its riffs. The gospel-tinged backing also adds a nice touch late on, while the cracking solo adheres to its traditional values. Kid Rock hustled in the Detroit underground for over 10 years before he burst into the mainstream in 1999 with the timeless rock anthem Bawitdaba. Other hits like Cowboy and American Bad Ass followed while ballads such as his Picture duet with Sheryl Crow and Only God Knows Why helped to propel him forward as one of the most unique artists of our time. Kid Rock has sold in excess of 22 million albums worldwide – and that success looks set to be fortified with this endearing new material.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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CSS – LEFT BEHIND: Following the release of their download-only taster track Rat Is Dead CSS now release their first single proper from keenly-anticipated sophomore album Donkey in the form of Left Behind. The song is a vibrant and often thrilling blend of electro-rock from the Brazilian sensations, which sets a soothing set of female vocals over some energetic synths and guitars. Melodically, it’s also crowd-pleasing and is as likely to “get you up and dance your ass off” as some of the lyrics suggest. Produced by the band’s new bassist (and former drummer) Adriano Cintra, the album promises a quantum leap forward for the CSS sound, which is designed to be much more mature, polished and professional while retaining their unique signature sound. On the evidence of this first proper single, we can’t wait to hear the rest of it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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MADONNA – GIVE IT 2 ME: Give It To Me is the sound of Madonna at her most playful on new album Hard Candy, dropping the urban heaviness of previous single 4 Minutes in favour of a pop-friendly disco-groove beat and plenty of humour. Strangely, though, it’s arguably one of the weaker tracks to be taken from the LP, possibly because it wears its pop sensibilities so shamelessly on its sleeve. The melodies are a little grating in an “all too cute” way, while the disco-siren that drifts in and out of the chorus is a little too formulaic for anyone who gets their kicks on the super-club scene. Perhaps what makes it most disappointing is the fact it fails to even come close to the superlative heights set by 4 Minutes – it’s the other side of Madonna; desperate to pander to the mainstream in order to preserve her pop queen crown, rather than striving to push new boundaries.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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WINONA – WITHOUT YOU: Without You is the debut single from Winona’s album Rosebud and is a sexy, sassy mix of atmospheric synths and honeyed vocals that combine to thrilling effect. Winona is the latest musical incarnation of multi award-winning composer and artiste Craig Armstrong who has teamed up with Scottish musician Scott Fraser and singers Lucy Pullin and French actress Laurence Ashley to create music that appeals to fans of electronic dance. Armstrong’s background as a film score composer (on films such as The Negotiator and, most recently, The Incredible Hulk) is evident in the cinematic nature of the synths, while there’s also traces of Moby in his prime. Vocally, it’s seductive and very assured. Bonus track Rosebud, on the other hand, is pure comedown material and nowhere near as good. But for the dance purists, Without You is also backed by numerous remixes – one of the best of which comes from Dark Horse, who ramp up the spacey elements and exaggerate the beat. Kris Menace also contributes a telling makeover that sounds very European, while Glenn Morrison and Matthew Dekay also offer interesting – if not entirely successful – variations. But Dead Soul Brothers take is also worth checking out – playing with the vocals and adding a really no-nonsense back beat to proceedings. None surpass the original, but for once they’re worth listening to.
Rating: 4 out of 5
NATTY – JULY: You have to hand it to Natty for trying… New single July is an offering that positively oozes sunshine and good times. Loaded with lyrics such as “dreaming of women in skimpy bikinis” and cheerful sentiment, it’s a collection of true stories from one July a couple of years ago that mixes head-nodding melodies, ska and soul in a fashion that even draws favourable comparisons to the laidback positivity of a certain Jack Johnson. Says Natty of the July inspiration behind it: “Me and my friends did so much, it felt like a whole year was condensed into that month. There isn’t anything better than a British summer with your friends living on a shoestring!” You probably will find yourself nodding along and reminiscing about your own fond summer memories by the second or third listen.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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NEON NEON – I TOLD HER ON ALDERAAN: And so the ‘80s revival shows no sign of abating. Neon Neon – aka Los Angeles based producer Boom Blip and Super Furry Animals main man Gruff Rhys – release the catchy, but hopelessly cheesy I Told Her On Alderaan from their so-so album Stainless Style. The song actually feels like it belongs on the soundtrack of a Brat-pack movie like St Elmos Fire or The Breakfast Club and is designed to reflect an imagined dream by Rhys. It has a kitsch appeal – but it’s only limited and pales by comparison to the far superior lead single I Lust U, which had delivered such high hopes for the album. It’s also backed by the grittier, thumping Trick Or Treat, which finds Rhys joined by both Har Mar Superstar and Spank Rock on vocal duties. It’s a song that passes through the world of ’80s celebrity and looks at the moment the DeLorean success story ran out of petrol. After a terrific start, Neon Neon also appear to be running out of steam.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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PASSENGER – THINGS YOU’VE NEVER DONE: You can’t fault Passenger for ambition. New single Things We’ve Never Done features a poignant operatic sample taken from Handel and an instrumental accompaniment comprised of strings and acoustic guitars. It’s a soulful tale of regret about the one that got away that is arguably the sound of the band at their very best. But vocally, they struggle to convince me, emerging as an acoustic folk variation on James Blunt at times. They could do with a little more grit. Still, for that Handel sample alone, this is well worth listening to and a worthwhile download if you like your folk pop to offer something a little bit different and more adventurous. It’s the final track to be taken from debut album, Wicked Man’s Rest.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
KID SISTER feat KANYE WEST – PRO NAILS: Guest appearances by rappers like Kanye West and Jay-Z seem to be two a penny nowadays and are no longer a sign of quality. Kid Sister’s Pro Nails gets a proper release following its low-key outing on the Fools Gold label, but it’s a limp hip-hop/R’n’B hybrid that sets a cheesy electronic beat over some girl-power vocals. The PR notes that Kid Sister’s feisty 20-something attitude is reminiscent of Salt n Pepa (if they’d made tracks for the iPod generation) and that probably tells you all you need to know. The injection of a brief rap from Kanye adds nothing except the suspicion that he’s slumming it of late, in the hope that his name alone can bang millions onto record sales potential. Sadly, on this occasion you’d be better off not being duped.
Rating: 2 out of 5
THE WHIP – BLACKOUT: Billed as “a 360 musical assault to the senses”, The Whip’s Blackout arrives amid a pulsating electro throb, plenty of vocal crescendo’s and some twisting and turning guitar riffs. It’s designed to bring the vibe of 1988’s second summer of love bang up to date for 2008 – its punchy beats and dirty bass lines ripped right from the Hacienda’s iconic era. In truth, I’m not sure whether it does what it says on the PR label. I found it droning, monotonous and pretty boring after two or three listens, as well as repetitive. Remixes from the likes of Popular Computer and Ashley Beedle to little to enliven it either. All in all, pretty yawn-inducing material.
Rating: 2 out of 5
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND – BENEATH THE BURNING TREE/WATERFRONT DANCE CLUB: Waterfront Dance Club and Beneath The Burning Tree will be Funeral For A Friend’s fans’ first chance to hear the newly invigorated band’s current sound. Drawing fire from the muscular intensity of their earlier material and adding some melodic intelligence of latter albums Hours and Tales Don’t Tell Themselves, the new material supposedly shows the band to be as incisively relevant as ever. Sadly, it’s dated, formulaic stadium-filling rock that’s not only derivative of the band’s own previous material but countless other acts in their own restrictive genre. Metal-heads and wearers of black leather jackets will probably proclaim it as the “bees knees” while thrashing their head about to the power riffs and pounding drums, but it’s of strictly limited appeal. Waterfront Dance Club – the pick of the two A-sides – will be available as a free download from July 14 and both tracks will grace a limited edition 7” from the same date.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
MCFLY – ONE FOR THE RADIO: Now here’s some words that I always dread writing… “McFly return with a new single…” Shamelessly poppy and desperately juvenile, One For The Radio wears its intentions (to make more money) on its sleeve from the outset with the opening lyric “here’s another song for the radio”. It then proceeds to drop bog-standard melodies, lightweight guitar riffs and school choir-style shouted backing vocals all over its non-sensical lyrics. It amounts to nothing, really, even though McFly fans will doubtless flock to it in their droves. You have to wonder, though, when will these boys start to grow up and sound a little more mature?
Rating: 1 out of 5
AVENGED SEVENFOLD – DEAR GOD: Avenged Sevenfold come over all earnest and Bon Jovi like with limited edition single Dear God, to coincide with their festival dates and Twickenham Stadium show with Iron Maiden. The song adds a country tinge to the band’s patented attack and is a heartfelt slow-builder that talks of protecting a loved one from life’s hardship (“dear God, the only thing I ask of you is to hold her when I’m not around”). But while the restraint is to be welcomed musically (we’d been expecting more powerhouse riffs and pounding drums), it’s actually a shamefully sentimental heart-strings tugger that’s laboured and mundane. Bon Jovi do it much, much better – and that’s only damning them with faint praise! The CD release also features an alternate versiou of album favourite Afterlife that’s also included on the iTunes DMD along with Crossroads.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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THE FEELING – TURN IT UP: The Feeling continue to plummet to new depths of badness with latest single Turn It Up, the latest to emerge from their horrid new album Join With Us. With its lightweight guitars, cheesy pop hooks and glam-rock leanings, the song is clearly setting itself to co-exist with the likes of Mika and The Hoosiers for sheer glam-pop excess. And when Dan Gillespie Sells sings of a “rock n roll disaster” and hearts sinking like stones, it’s hard not to agree. This new material is so far removed from tracks like Sewn – and not in a good way – that it’s hard to believe we were once raving about this promising new act. Still, for those who can’t get enough, the single is backed by a new recording, Make Me Pay, as well as a cover version of The Velvet Underground’s Femme Fatale and two remixes by Alex Gaudino and Me & Mrs Jones (aka Feeling bassist Richard Jones and his wife, Sophie Ellis-Bextor).
Rating: 2 out of 5
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MARTHA WAINWRIGHT – YOU CHEATED ME: Martha Wainwright returns with the digital-only single You Cheated Me from her critically acclaimed sophomore album I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too. Produced by Brad Albetta and written by Martha herself, the song is one of the LP’s many highlights and finds The Who’s Pete Townshend supplying the guitar work. Equal parts raw conviction and damaged vulnerability, the track sees Martha struggling to come to terms with a partner’s infidelity, charting the journey from disbelief to anger with impressive accuracy. From the woozy, plucked opening to the cathartic chorus, You Cheated Me is Martha at her unflinchingly honest best and firm evidence of why she could yet eclipse her brother Rufus in the popularity stakes!
Rating: 4 out of 5
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