Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, March 15, 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…
LADY GAGA feat BEYONCE – TELEPHONE: This one has monster smash written all over it… a collaboration between artist-of-the-moment Lady Gaga and R’n’B queen Beyonce that is as vibrant, attitude-laden and catchy as you could have hoped to expect. Beginning with a deceptively laidback harp-like melody, the song soon unfolds into a typically thumping dancefloor friendly Gaga offering with urgent beats and souped up synths. The mix of vocal styles works well… both are sassy, both are distinct and both are easy on the ear. It’s tailor-made for maximum commercial success, of course, but you’ll probably be too busy enjoying it to begrudge that too much. Lady Gaga, it seems, just keeps on dialling things up in terms of self-promotion and popularity – and there’s no hanging up on her yet. It’s another of the additional tracks to feature on her The Fame Monster extended LP.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Order the album l View Telephone video photos
TIFFANY PAGE – WALK AWAY SLOW: Twenty-three-year-old Tiffany Page releases her debut single Walk Away Slow and aims to fulfil some of the hype surrounding her. And she pretty much succeeds. A pop-rock offering, Page’s most striking attribute is definitely her voice, which combines the sassy swagger of Chrissie Hynde with elements of Shirley Manson and Courtney Love. The energetic guitar riffs lend it a strong rock vibe, while the chorus is catchy enough to warrant easy radio pick up across several of the leading outlets. A mid-track breakdown in which Page comes over all husky and brooding also suggests she’s not the type of artist who’ll be content with putting out easy pop ditties – rather, she has a bit of grit to her that places her more on the PJ Harvey/Chrissie Hynde trail than many of her more cotton-wool wrapped counterparts.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
CHERYL COLE – PARACHUTE: As pop records go, Cheryl Cole’s new offering Parachute is a pretty catchy offering that marks a welcome step in the right direction away from the more innocent Girls Aloud sound. Bolstered by a thumping back beat, some swirling piano chords, and a feisty set of vocals that are more Rihanna than Girls Aloud, it’s a lively, dancefloor-friendly ear-pleaser. The chorus of “I don’t need a parachute if I’ve got you…” sounds ironic given the tabloid headlines currently surrounding her love life… but cheap celebrity pot-shots aside, this is a fun pop record that should further enhance Cole’s prospects of making it as a bona fide solo artist in her own right. Just don’t tell anyone we said so!
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
DELPHIC – HALCYON: Delphic’s latest, Halcyon, looks set to further enhance the band’s credentials as one of 2010’s biggest breakthrough acts depite being one of the more underwhelming tracks they’ve so far put out. Delivered amid a stark backdrop of swirling synths and some decent enough guitar riffs, it straddles pop-rock and synth-pop in credible fashion without really blowing you away. Early on, there’s nods towards the style of The Beloved, as well as elements of The Klaxons, albeit with a softer, more radio-friendly focus. But while it certainly boasts plenty of layering and has plenty of energy, it’s not as memorable as their previous offerings and is probably a little too mainstream for its own good. Delphic remain a promising new outfit… but they still lack a really, really killer track.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
ROX – MY BABY LEFT ME: Rox has, in recent months, been consistently tipped as one of the future stars of 2010, with the BBC Sound of 2010 Poll, MTV, HMV, The Sun and Mojo magazine all picking her out as a star that’s set to make a huge impact. To showcase those credentials, she releases new single My Baby Left Me from her anticipated debut album Memoirs, which is due for release in June. It’s an OK listen, to be sure, featuring a strong set of cheerfully soulful vocals (in spite of the heartbreak inherent in the lyrics) and a bouncy pop-soul vibe. But there’s also that nagging suspicion that it’s a little too tailored for mainstream success… and not really different enough to make you stop and really take notice. A remix package comes courtesy of the likes of DC Breaks, The Wideboys, Terror Danjah and Arms (Ear dis), but none really enhance the original.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
DELORENTOS – S.E.C.R.E.T: Dublin-four-piece Delorentos release their new single S.E.C.R.E.T as a taster of their debut UK LP You Can Make Sound on April 5. Described as a ‘driving, dance-driven and powerful piece of pogo-punk’ that chronicles “secret, on-tour relationships”, it was released back in Ireland in conjunction with some appropriately hush-hush shows, where fans were invited to text a mysterious number, which would reply with details of the location (“it cost a fortune in credit,” admits guitarist Kieran). On the plus side, there’s a strong sense of melody, some spiky riffs and a chant-along style chorus that’s made for singing along with in live format. But it lacks something… and is only really a guilty pleasure kind of listen – fun while it lasts, but definitely best left confined to small doses. That said, fair play to Delorentos for keeping going, as they very nearly didn’t make it: having scored early, chart-topping Irish success, the band suffered the collapse of Pinnacle, hit a creative wall, and saw singer Ronan walk out. The remaining members – school friends who bonded after sessions as a Thin Lizzy cover band – decided to plough on, until Ronan suddenly returned, tail between legs. There’s hope for the album yet!
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
DAKOTA – WE GET ALONG: Dakota describe themselves as a British pop band in the classic sense – ‘natural tunesmiths with a taut underpull and muscular brevity’ – who are tough and tender at the same time.They have taken their name from the New York apartment building where John Lennon lived and died. Lead singer Ben Talbot used his own life changing event to emotionally charge his music and create the band’s debut album, Heart & Soul, from which new single We Get Along has come. Alas, early comparisons to acts like Suede fall some way wide of the mark… Built around earnest vocals, lacklustre guitar riffs and a pop sensibility that’s designed to sound both contemporary and indicative of their ‘60s inspirations, the result is a dreary radio friendly offering that does little to suggest the band have a bright future ahead of them. If anything, they need a little more grit. Needless to say, even after a few listens, we didn’t get along!
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
ESTEBAN – SHE GOES OUT: With songs drenched in catchy pop hooks, socially aware lyrics, Latin and African beats and funk, Esteban have already received media support from the likes of Tom Robinson at BBC 6 Music and Total Guitar who, recognizing guitarist Liam’s unique fingerpicking style, featured Esteban as ‘Ones To Watch’. New single She Goes Out, which talks of “following flamingos”, is indicative of the ambitious nature of their songwriting – the track never sits still. There’s spiky guitar riffs jostling for position with a catchy “na na na” laced chorus, and Latin influences in some of the percussion. It’s the sort of offering that ought to sound a complete mess… but somehow it works and it’s really quite appealing. Esteban has a strong set of vocals, while the lively, constantly evolving nature of the track, is to be admired. What’s more, it’s backed by the equally lively, and similarly Latin influenced, Santiago, which has a real party-starting kind of vibe. Esteban is well worth checking out.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
BASHY – WHEN THE SKY FALLS: When The Sky Falls marks the first single from ‘enigmatic street commentator’ Bashy since his acclaimed debut Catch Me If You Can. Taken from the soundtrack of the forthcoming British movie Shank, it also features Loick Essien on support and is a mix of sung vocals (during its pop chorus) and urban rap (during the hard-hitting verses). Sadly, the mix doesn’t really work that well… a promising, if generic, chorus giving rise to the harder elements of Bashy’s onerous rap. Mr Hudson does this kind of thing so much better! Bashy doesn’t just appear on the soundtrack to the movie, he stars in it – playing Rager, the leader of ‘The Paper Chaserz gang’, a supposedly intense role that he hopes will pave the way for future big screen outings. The Shank soundtrack (released on March 22) is packed full of urban artists, including Tinchy Stryder, Roll Deep, Tempa T, Speech Debelle, Adam Deacon and Giggs. Shank is released on March 26.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
DAVID GUETTA feat KID CUDI – MEMORIES: With two UK No. 1s firmly under his belt (three if you count his Black Eyed Peas production I Gotta Feeling), recent Grammy Award winner David Guetta shows no sign of tiring yet and drops his new single Memories, featuring guest vocals from Kid Cudi. The track – a full-on dancefloor filler of intense proportions – combines the talents of artist/producer/remixer/DJ David Guetta with Kid Cudi’s laidback vocal delivery, making for one of the more infectious pop/dance crossover offerings from the LP. A rousing piano loop and some thumping beats combine to make your head swirl and your hips gyrate, while Cudi’s vocals somehow fit in perfectly with the overall vibe. It’s an Ibiza album, for sure… but as Ibiza anthems go, it’s one of the better and more tolerable offerings. The single is taken from David Guetta’s current album One Love, which has already been certified double Gold and is fast approaching Platinum status. It features all of Guetta’s recent singles as well as an eclectic array of guest talent that also includes Kelly Rowland, will.i.iam, Akon, Ne-Yo, and Chris Willis.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
Heard a great single, but yet to buy it? Well, we may have reviewed it. Previous reviews:
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