Nina Simone was a great artist. But I think if she heard this adaptation of her song ‘Feelin’ Good’, so excellently covered by Muse, she might want to weep. Taking the musical riff and the chorus of the classic song and funking it up actually works well, but the overly familiar rapping of Flo Rida…
If you were to re-record Gorillaz’ ‘Feel Good Inc.’ using a microphone that was bought for £2.50 from a dodgy man in a sheepskin jacket at your local market, then you’d probably end up with verses like this. The bass-dominated riffs are atmospherically evoking and the drum beat that throws the song forward near the…
Even though it starts with a riff that sounds like a nursery rhyme crossed with a television jingle it’s a pretty distinctive start for this uplifting, perky indie-pop number that has so many catchy elements thrown into it I’m surprised it hasn’t been given a health warning. With hints of Train weaved into its verses…
Taking the original track and adding Tinie Tempah’s distinctive vocals on top has made the bland instrumental much more exciting and memorable. Yes, the lyrics are pretty derivative with a rhyming dictionary and the clubber’s guide to making a generic club track being essential source material for the piece, but as a club-friendly number it…
Taken from their upcoming album Ghost Stories Coldplay return to their earlier form of slow, ponderous ballads and ‘Magic’ is possibly the slowest amongst them. Fans of the band will lap this up and there is much to enjoy: the instrumentation and Martin’s vocals are crisp and involving and move smoothly as the song progresses,…
‘Nothing Ordinary’ is an indie hit with a surprisingly hooky chorus hiding behind its unusual and wacky production side. The off-kilter drum track and quickly singable chorus work together to give this a more commercial side to its distinctly indie vibe. {rating}
Opening with the title track featuring a guest appearance from Frank Carter III (he’s on it so little I hope they didn’t pay him much) the EP gets off to a soulful start before someone sets the drum machine going and ruins it, with the fast-paced drum and bass riff being entirely different to the…
Sadly not Darius of Pop Idol fame, this is a different, more French, Darius out with his EP of smooth electronic laid back numbers. Lead single ‘Espoir’ is samey, repetitive and lacking the oomph needed to really lend appeal to a minimalistic synthy composition, though it does echo the calmer more subdued numbers from fellow…
Track number one on her EP, ‘Silk Road’, is as silky as the title, a slow, meandering number but one that pulls you in with its simple, evocative nature boosted by a mesmerising harp sound. It’s difficult to put my finger on what makes the track but the gentle well-constructed production is definitely one of…
Opener ‘Little Italy’ is a pointed, indie number led by the distinct vocals of the lead singer and it bounces along for a very quick three minutes but doesn’t leave a massive mark on you as it lacks the killer hook of an indie classic, and the converging elements at the two minute mark don’t…
