Music - Singles of the week - Monday, April 16, 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: KYLA LA GRANGE – VAMPIRE SMILE: Kyla La Grange’s new single Vampire Smile is and is another excellent taster of her forthcoming debut album, Ashes, which is due to land on July 30, 2012 (via ioki records/Sony). Written when she was just 19 years old, Vampire Smile is the fourth single from the 25-year-old which again showcases those striking vocals and her ability to mix the sweet and the savage in her lyrics. It’s a dark and beguiling take on possession and obsession that will get under your skin and stay there, building steadily to a heady conclusion that’s dripping with power and atmosphere. Lyrically, it’s full of unstelling imagery and a mounting terror befitting its name, while the instrumentation is expertly realised to create something that’s by turns unsettling and utterly striking. There’s a heady intimacy to her bruised whisper of “baby I need to leave, ‘cause I’m getting drunk on your noble deeds”, before she gives full rein to her huge voice in a plangent, heart-swelling chorus. We’re officially very excited about the approaching album.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: B.o.B – SO GOOD: It’s not doing anything particularly original but B.o.B’s new single So Good is a really feel-good single that fuses hip hop and pop in effortlessly enjoyable [and crossover] fashion. Featuring lyrics such as “I’ll be your Da Vinci if you’ll be my Mona Lisa” set against a bouncing piano loop and some slick, uplifting beats, it’s an ode to enjoying the better things in life that’s hard not to get behind. Vocally, it transcends the song’s hip-hop roots by employing a positive outlook and a less pronounced form of rap, as well as a sung chorus, that’s anthemic and celebratory (“we’ll be in the high life, soaking up the sun life”). With the sun starting to shine in our skies, it’s a great way to add a little ray of positivity into your lives… for which we can all be grateful during these harder times.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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MARINA & THE DIAMONDS – PRIMADONNA: Marina & The Diamonds – aka Marina Diamandis – return with the bittersweet synth pop of Primadonna, a shape-shifter of a single that showcases her ability to toy with expectation. The chorus unfolds in sweet fashion with Marina declaring herself a primadonna girl in a sweet tone and with sugary melodies, before then dropping a set of grinding synths that are more in keeping with a Lady Gaga record (and which come courtesy of producer Dr Luke). It’s primed for maximum chart success yet retains a sense of Marina’s own identity (especially in that striking voice) that makes it another surefire hit for her. And while we have some reservations, there’s no denying this is also catchy as hell once you’ve heard it a couple of times.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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THE CRIBS – COME ON, BE A NO ONE: Having whetted the appetite with Chi-Town, a whirlwind four date live excursion and the imminence of a fifth album In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull, The Cribs release Come On, Be A No-One, as a single. The track has already proven to be a new highlight in the band’s ever expansive live set and sees The Cribs having reverted back to trio status in confident form. The track is described as a rallying call that throws out a chant-worthy notion before enveloping it in wave upon wave of guitar riffs, bass and drums that show no let up in during its two minutes and 38 second lifetime. The music has a raw rock vibe to it, while the vocals are suitably ragged to give the track – and the sentiments behind it – the kind of indie-rock outsider vibe it seems to be seeking. It’s a riot of energy that’s also great fun to shout along with.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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CONOR MAYNARD – CAN’T SAY NO: Conor Maynard is another self-made YouTube sensation a la Justin Bieber who first shot to fame by singing cover versions of his favourite singles. But where Bieber hails from America, Maynard is Brighton-based… although judging from the sound he’s created on his new single Can’t Say No he’ll more than fit in States-side. This owes more to early Justin Timberlake than Bieber, dropping a sleek, sexy beat over breathy vocals about sexy girls. It’s a party record that flirts with R’n’B as well as pop and it boasts guilty pleasure value and crossover potential, displaying a maturity that belies Maynard’s tender years… as well as more testosterone than Bieber has so far managed over the course of his career. Whether he can achieve quite the same heights remains to be seen but with songs of this nature, he’s definitely on the right path to global success. In pop terms, this is disposable fun that could even be ripe for a Glee cover version.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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LMFAO – SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKING: LMFAO – aka ‘Laughing My F**king Arse Off- are LA duo Skyler (aka Skyblu) and his grandson Stefan Gordy (aka Redfoo) and they’re rapidly becoming renowned for vapid dance tunes mixed with hip hop. Hot off the back of their Sexy & I Know It single, they now drop Sorry For Party Rocking as the title track from their latest album and it’s the usual soulless mix of styles. On this occasion, it’s a throbbing synth loop, some frenetic beats and a sarcastic kind of apology that says ‘sorry for party rocking’. It’s a super-club leaning kind of record that actually has very little to recommend it… grinding its way into your subconscious in unrelenting fashion much in the same way as every LMFAO tack does.
Rating: 2 out of 5
JENNY GILLESPIE – BELITA EP: Jenny Gillespie’s new EP Belita offers a gentle blend of folk, indie pop and post-rock. Produced by Jenny and multi-intrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily (Jools Holland, Lou Reed), the EP marks Gillespie’s third release after the chamber folk of 2009’s Light Year and the ambient progressive pop of 2010’s Kindred.The ensuing CD is a bit of a mixed bag if we’re being totally honest. Gillespie’s beautifully evocative vocals shine throughout but sometimes her music needs a little winding up. Creature of Our Make sets the template… Gillespie’s tender vocals combining with those of Sam Amidon to create a low-key slice of dusky folk that’s nicely understated yet still high on melodic structure. Gillespie goes it solo on the stripped back Wooden Bench, sounding almost melancholy against the acoustic guitars and gentle piano chords that form the backdrop. It’s a reflective offering that requires the right kind of mood. Alas, the same kind of softly, softly approach is adopted on the serene Mariposa, another of the EP’s duets, which is perhaps a little too understated at this point on the EP. Sunshine Blood benefits from some lovely piano arrangements, while Cheating Gong once more finds Gillespie dueting to pleasing effect. But while the folk is largely intact, the EP lacks the indie pop moments that were promised and is perhaps a little too measured for its own good. Gillespie remains an appealing vocalist and a constantly evolving performer when compared with her previous work. But this is very much an EP that you have to be in the right mood to best appreciate by virtue of its quiet approach.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Listen to Creature of Our Make:
BLEECH – MONDAYS: Bleech’s new single Mondays has already been featured on BBC’s Waterloo Road (along with about a thousand other songs!!) and is taken from the band’s upcoming debut album, Nude, which is scheduled for release this summer. It’s a pile-driving single, coated in melody, that announces: “I’m happy when I’m happy, happy when I’m sad, I’m happy cos it’s Monday”… a sentiment that I doubt too many people will actually get behind come Monday morning! But it’s a decent enough offering that while not quite hitting the anthemic heights it’s doubtless seeking to attain, suggests there’s plenty more to come from this band in the future. Bleech consists of sisters Jennifer and Katherine O’Neill and their schoolmate Matt Bick and even though they weren’t old enough to drink together when they formed, their music has attracted the attention of the likes of NME, Rock Sound and Clash Magazine.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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Heard a great single, but yet to buy it? Well, we may have reviewed it. Previous reviews:
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