Music - Singles of the week - Monday, March 12, 2012
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: PAUL WELLER – THAT DANGEROUS AGE: The evergreen Paul Weller shows no signs of succumbing to That Dangerous Age he’s currently singing about with this hip, barnstorming new single. Boasting slick beats, funky Hammond organs and some classic guitar riffs, the track looks destined to become a classic Weller single for the way it combines catchy, sing-along values with piercing social insight. The song itself details with precise wit the agonies of the frustrated middle-aged wage slave. As Weller states: “There was an inference that I was going through a mid-life crises, which I found really amusing: the clichéd notion of it. And that was the impetus for (the song) even though it isn’t really about that. It’s a bit tongue in cheek, too. I guess it’s also about how society views people of a certain age. For me, does it really matter what age you are? It’s what up there in your soul that matters.” It’s all the more amazing, then, that this particularly song makes Weller sound younger and fresher than he has for ages. The track will be available on CD digipack, two 7” singles and a download EP. The formats include all-new B-side Portal To The Past and remixes of That Dangerous Age by Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys and Ladytron plus an explosive version of new album track Green. The new album, Sonik Kicks, hits stores on March 19.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Watch the video:
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: STEVE SMYTH – ENDLESS NOWADAYS: Steve Smyth releases his debut single, Endless Nowadays, on TeenAgeRiot Music and duly serves notice of an interesting new talent. Following a recent homeland tour, this hirsute young Aussie, and owner of a unique voice whose timbre can take him from be-gravelled blues-man to angelic upstart in the space of a stanza, looks set to go global. He’s already played London dates to critical success and now, with the release of this moody, banjo-backed single, he only looks set to win over more people. The track is vaguely reminiscent of Josh Pyke and The Shins, with a little Radiohead thrown in, but is utterly addictive, both instrumentally and vocally… with the lyrics providing a thought-provoking accompaniment to what is a pretty complete package. Endless Nowadays (great name too) is taken from Steve Smyth’s debut album, Release, available now digitally and set for full release this spring.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Listen to the track:
LABRINTH – LAST TIME: Labrinth drops the electro-pop-rap workout that is Last Time as the latest taster of what to expect from his keenly-anticipated album, Electronic Earth (out April 2). And on the evidence of this, it might be a pretty decent LP. Last Time combines elements of vocoder-laced vocals with swishing synth arrangements, futuristic orchestration and string arrangements to deliver the type of offering that could appeal to everyone from ELO fans to Bruno Mars and beyond. It’s slick, upbeat and puts you in a good mood – just as every good pop offering should. And Labrinth still manages to retain a sense of his own identity. The video is a bit of a corker too (and it’s below).
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Watch the video:
KATY PERRY – PART OF ME: Don’t let the zippy electronics and snappy pop beat fool you, this is the sound of Katy Perry at her most broke down and heart-broken. And it’s hard not to think it wasn’t inspired by recent events in her own personal life, no matter how amicable statements suggest. Lyrics here include “you can keep the diamong ring” and “this is the part of me that you’re never ever going to take away from me”. Earlier on, meanwhile, she states: “I just wanna throw my phone away, find out who is really there for me, you rtip me off, your love was cheap, was tearing at the seams.” Perry actually insists the song was written prior to her marriage split but you can’t help but wonder why she’s chosen to release it now. It’s catchy but that somehow doesn’t sound right to me given the messiness of any divorce. Ah well, celebrities eh?
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Watch the lyric video:
MIA – BAD GIRLS: “Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well…” So sings MIA over the opening moments of her latest in your face pop offering. Songs don’t come with much more attitude than an MIA offering and this is arguably the best she’s had to offer since Paper Planes. It’s lyrically bereft of much to say but the Middle Eastern hip-hop beat (courtesy of Britney hitmaker Danja) adds a distinct flavour that compliments the sassy vocals well. The video, meanwhile, finds the politically minded Sri Lankan native dancing in the middle of the desert, surrounded by various sheiks, and breaking things up with footage of car chases. It’s a striking video that’s well worth checking out – but it also underlines her fondness for getting controversial. You have to begrudgingly admire her… with Lady Gaga floundering, she’s the most potent threat to Madonna’s likely chart dominance over the next few months.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Watch the lyric video:
ADAM LAMBERT – BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF: Adam Lambert limbers up for the release of his next album, Trespassing, with the supposedly anthemic Better Than I Know Myself. An ode to his loved one that acknowledges how well his other half knows him, it builds from an edgy electro beat (supplied by Dr Luke) into a euphoric, falsetto-driven outpouring of emotion that’s pure boy-band pop. A moody piano midway through manipulates the emotions still further, making it ripe for pick-up on some sappy teenage TV programme or for a Glee cover version. Lambert’s vocals emerge with credit but this is fairly contrived and manipulative and not really worth getting excited about.
Rating: 2 out of 5
MISSING ANDY – MONEY: Essex five-piece Missing Andy drop their new single Money ahead of their album, Generation Silence (out March 19), and offer another of their observations on the state of modern society. On this occasion, there’s a funky mix of horns, Mark Ronson-style beats and brash warnings (“don’t turn your back cos we’ll take all your money!”) delivered in a cheeky, anthemic way. It’s a fun blast of indie-pop energy that forms one of the 12 tracks HMV selected as part of their ‘Next Big Thing’ initiative. The video for the track was created and produced by the band themselves and takes a sideways look at modern society, characterised by the band’s now trademark black humour. Taking the form of a heist movie with a twist, it’s already gathering an appreciative online audience.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Watch the video:
THE DETOURS – IGNITE EP: Although formed in 2006 it’s taken until now for The Detours to release their debut EP, Ignite, but sadly the wait hasn’t been worth it. According to their PR, they combine energetic guitar riffs with soaring sing-a-long choruses that err on the side of hard rock in a You Me At Six meets Funeral For A Friend kind of way. That is to say, they sound kind of generic within the genre they represent. Album opener One Last Chance opens amid a flurry of spiky riffs and layered, lively guitars but never really lives up to its early potential, with angst-ridden lyrics once again contemplating the difficulty of our trying times. But it’s done in such a familiar, underwhelming manner that it’s nowhere near as empowering as it thinks. Title track Ignite adds more intensity and grit but could be the sound of countless Download rock bands plying their trade, while Free offers more of the same and kind of blurs into the sound of the previous track. It’s meant to inspire… but it sorely underwhelms.
Rating: 2 out of 5
JAKE MORLEY – FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW: Having impressed greatly throughout a successful 2011, Jake Morley now plans to re-release his debut album, Many Fish To Fry, via a bigger label and revisits some of his singles. Hence, new single Feet Don’t Fail Me Now is one of its highlights and immediately displays the vocal prowess that has seen the likes of Kevin Spacey and Princess Beatrice turn out for his live shows. A shimmering, full bodied slice of guitar pop, it combines lively riffs (both acoustic and electric) with fine sunshine vocal harmonies and a gospel backdrop over the catchy chorus. It’s a feel-good record of the highest calibre that gets a welcome second airing and which deserves to become a chart smash as well. The sentiments about keeping going are also pretty empowering and delivered in such a way as to not sound overbearing. Welcome back, Jake.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Watch the video:
KATZENJAMMER – I WILL DANCE (WHEN I WALK AWAY): Norwegian quartet Katzenjammer release new party-ready single I Will Dance (When I Walk Away), the first single from the band’s forthcoming LP, A Kiss Before You Go. Featuring galloping hony tonk piano, acoustic guitar, double bass and accordion, as well as a breezy set of female vocals, this is a Vaudevillian hoedown of ear-pleasing proportions that is high on its own melodies and intoxicating to boot. There’s a sweetness and sense of euphoria about it that makes it impossible to dislike and which bodes well for the release of the LP, which also features an intriguing cover version of Genesis track Land of Confusion on sousaphone.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Heard a great single, but yet to buy it? Well, we may have reviewed it. Previous reviews:
Right Content
Related Links
- Music Home
- Music Archives
- A/V Room
- IndieLondon Gig Guide
- Singles of the Week
- Music Gallery