Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, June 16
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: THE SUBWAYS – ALRIGHT: The Subways return with the breezy retro-pop Alright, the first song to emerge from their hotly-anticipated sophomore album All Or Nothing. Recorded in Los Angeles, the 12-track LP promises to mark a tremendous progression for the band since their Young For Eternity breakthrough, having been inspired by bands like Death Cab For Cutie and Refused. Alright is dripping with sun-drenched vocal harmonies, lively guitar riffs and an infectious energy that’s difficult not to become swept along by. The boy-girl vocals, in particular, work a treat and are oddly reminiscent of Ash at their most boisterous. The “alright”laden chorus, meanwhile, suggests a happy state of mind that’s didfficult to resist while the song is playing. If this is any indication of the quality of the remainder of the album, then we could be in for a treat.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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PANIC AT THE DISCO – THAT GREEN GENTLEMAN (THINGS HAVE CHANGED): Las Vegas-based eccentrics Panic At The Disco release the second single from their latest album, Pretty. Odd in the form of the lively That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed). A firm fan favourite and a perfect example of how much the band have stepped outside their comfort zone to prove how much they’ve grown up since their 2.2 million selling debut, the song is fuelled by a keen sense of melody, some vibrant guitars and piano hooks, and a playful sense of its own fun. There’s elements of ELO and The Beatles in some of the songwriting but in most senses this is the sound of a band confidently striding forward and refining its own sound, while having fun in the process. It’s a useful indicator of the quality to expect from the latest album – and it isn’t even one of our highlights!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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THE RASCALS – FREAKBEAT PHANTOM: Freakbeat Phantom, produced by Ben Hillier (Blur, The Horrors, Doves), is the latest single from The Rascals and it’s released through Deltasonic Records on CD, 10” vinyl and digital download. Taking a nod from the Liverpool music scene that they grew up in, as well as the no-nonsense approach of contemporaries such as Arctic Monkeys, it’s a lively indie-rock anthem that’s propelled by some cracking guitar riffs and an echoed, Liverpudlian set of vocals. The song certainly makes the most of its cracking name and demonstrates the band’s ability to write some telling stories in their lyrics, as well as draw on some easygoing vocal melodies. There is just the suspicion, though, that they’re a little too influenced by other bands and may struggle to really maintain an indentity of their own. It’ll be interesting to see how they develop as the release of their debut album, Rascalize, approaches on June 23.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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INFADELS – FREE THINGS FOR POOR PEOPLE: There’s a genuinely endearing quality to the new single from Infadels, Free Things For Poor People, which rises above its somewhat dubious title to emerge as one of the summer’s potential feelgood anthems. Driven by synethesizer melodies, vocal harmonising and some rousing guitar hooks, it’s an upbeat offering that’s great for singing and dancing along to. The chorus, “my river runs through her now”, is also destined to become an ode to love-making that’s embraced wholeheartedly by the more cheeky among you. It’s the type of track that could well win more fans and attention for their forthcoming second LP, Universe In Reverse.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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JAMIE LIDELL – ANOTHER DAY: Taken from Jim, his sophomore album, Jamie Lidell releases Another Day, a three minute slice of Motown inspired summer sunshine. Written and produced by Jamie and his long-time producing partner Mocky, the song is a heady, joyful gospel groove awash with birdsong, handclaps and effervescent melodies. It clearly takes its inspiration from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, whilst maintaining a contemporary edge that’s more in keeping with the new popular sound of artists such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. Lidell’s soulful male vocals lend it a difference, though, that’s just as endearing. It’s an amiable introduction to a pretty funky album.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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JAPE – I WAS A MAN: Dublin native Jape – aka Richie Egan – releases I Was A Man as the first single from his latest album, Ritual, and immediately impresses. A mixture of electronic blips with pure rock’n’ roll, it drops an infectious central electronic hook and some finger-clicking beats around its darkly comic tale of a loveable loser. A remix from JXL serves to add even more layers of funk and electronica and certainly endears it towards a good dancefloor workout. But the original just shades it as well as serving notice of why Jape is so revered in Irish music circles. The album, which was released last week (June 9, 2008), is well worth a listen, even if doesn’t quite scale the heights suggested by some of the PR surrounding him.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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JULIAN VELARD – JIMMY DEAN AND STEVE MCQUEEN: After receiving rave reviews for his limited EP The Movies Without You, Julian Velard now releases his first official single in the form of Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen, a breezy slice of piano-based pop and soul. Written by the singer during the hottest NYC summer on record, the song is brimming with tyre screeches, sleigh bells, baseball organ and handclaps, all backed by his whisky soaked vocals that also boasts a very soulful, even Harry Connick Jr-style quality. It’s couched in the New York values and bar scene that helped to inspire it but while it won’t exactly blow you away, it’s easygoing, relaxed vibe is easily enticing, especially at the end of a long day. Amy McDonald fans may recall seeing (and no doubt enjoying) Velard’s style when he supported her during her recent May tour.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SON OF DAVE – LOVER NOT A FIGHTER: With their husky vocals, distinctly funky back beats and alt-country style, Son Of Dave share plenty in common with the likes of Alabama 3. Following the critical acclaim that greeted former single Old Times Were Good Times, they now return with the laidback slice of funk that is Lover Not A Fighter. With deep, growled male vocals blending seamlessly with dusky female soulful ones, some mouth organ and a cool back-beat, it’s an effortlessly feel-good mix that oozes confidence and appeal. If you didn’t manage to catch Son Of Dave’s recent performance at London’s Roundhouse, then you can get another chance at The Big Chill Festival on August 1. They could well prove to be one of the highlights.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
NATASHA MARSH – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: Natasha Marsh has been chosen by ITV Sport to be the voice of their Euro 2008 opening title sequence and so makes the most of the opportunity for some more mainstream prominence with a special recording of Queen Of The Night from Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute. It’s used as the opening and closing credits for each broadcast. And it certainly goes well with some of the slow-mo images of the beautiful game that have certainly been used to augment its sense of majesty, beauty and occasion. Whether it’ll ultimately win more fans to opera, or to Marsh, remains to be seen, but there’s no denying the power and beauty of her imposing vocals, which soar in places, and carry plenty of gravitas and emotion in others. She’s certainly a very rich talent. Marsh is fast becoming one of the nation’s favourite sopranos, having already enjoyed massive success earlier this year with her debut album, Armour, which was recorded on EMI Classics and went straight to No.1 in the UK Classic Chart.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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THE JONAS BROTHERS – SOS: The hotly-tipped Jonas Brothers release their debut UK single in the form of SOS and really kind of flatter to deceive. Described as an energetic pop-punk effort that boasts a fierce dance-rock groove, the single is actually rather flat in the sense that it could just as easily have been delivered by the likes of McFly, or one of their US counterparts. It’s formulaic, too, in the sense that it sticks rigidly to a formula for success that’s no-risk and radio-friendly. New Jersey natives The Jonas Brothers have already reached superstar status among American teen and tween audiences and their “catchy hooks and high energy vocals” seem poised to do the same here. But the phrases “teen” and “tweenie” sum up more capably the sound of what to expect than any pop-punk comparisons. It plays young, and dumb, but really isn’t that much fun. The self-titled album is out the following week.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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CHRIS BROWN – FOREVER: It’s the latest way to cash in, it seems… Release an album, sell millions, then release a deluxe/special edition/forever edition and make bucket loads more for a minimal amount of work. Chris Brown follows in the footsteps of Kelly Rowland and Rihanna by re-issuing Exclusive in a special edition Forever package, and releasing a supporting single. And it’s as generic as you might expect, packaged as a European dancefloor track but no better than most of the Timbaland wannabes plying their trade at the moment. The beats are synthetic and processed, the vocals strained and uninspired, and the whole thing carries the stale whiff of a bonus track for an album that really didn’t need a second outing. It’s what downloads were made for, of course. But in the case of this single, it’s not worth even venturing to iTunes or 7digital to support it, especially since its blandness seems to last for as long as the title suggests.
Rating: 1 out of 5
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DOWNLOAD SELECTIONS
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – WAKING THE DEMON: Having released their world-wide smash sophomore album Scream Aim Fire in January, Bullet For My Valentine now unleash Waking The Demon as an iTunes exclusive download with a digital comic book based around the track itself. But while that’s certainly a novel touch that offers genuine value-for-money, the single itself is the usual mix of thunderous drums, wailing guitar riffs and shouted, Goth-wail, vocals. It’s all deliberately powerful, all menace, all fury and really rather a big old mess. The guitar solo offers some insight into what might have been had a little more restraint been employed, but in all other senses this is one purely for the headbangers among you.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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SWAY feat STUSH – F UR X: Sway’s new single F UR X is a 10 megapixel, pin-sharp snapshot of a mobile phone-fuelled domestic dispute viewed via Sway’s lyrical lens. According to its PR, “Sway’s witty wordplay and fantastic flow demonstrate why the North Londoner is regarded as one of the best in Britain”. But it’s hard to see how. It’s a laboured, dub-heavy offering that sounds as annoying as overhearing a domestic abuse might be, while someone plays an annoying backbeat from the room or flat above. Stush, who lends her vocals as the female half of the argument, fails to add any charm. It’s one to steer clear of – although if you want to hear more, then it’s taken from Sway’s current mixtape, The Dotted Lines, and provides a taster from his forthcoming album, The Signature LP. We can wait!
Rating: 1 out of 5
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