My round up of the new singles available for digital download this week.
AFI – ‘I Hope You Suffer’
The charmingly titled ‘I Hope You Suffer’ from AFI is a slow, lumbering, atmospheric track covering the well-trodden path of romantic breakdown. Resisting the temptation to go too screamo, the tempo gives it a sense of mystery but equally makes it feel like a long path towards the singable chorus. With a beefing up of the pace its subject matter would come alive more, but it’s worth sticking out for the chorus for some simple, but catchy, lines that will resonate with the target audience, alongside the almost-cinematic production style. (6/10)
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Blitz Kids – ‘Run For Cover’
A surprisingly catchy indie rock number with hints of something a bit darker. With a strong, driving drum pattern, some neatly observed and rhyming lyrics and a variety of interesting production decisions that stop the track from feeling stale, it feels like someone like Lost Prophets at their height, and there are plenty of stadium-friendly moments to enjoy. Balancing the needs of the audience and something a bit more commercial, I hope this does well for the Cheshire band. (7/10)
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Brookes Brothers feat. Chrom3 – ‘Carry Me On’
I tend to get a little weary when I see a new drum and bass track on the list as they have all recently tended to follow very similar patterns and, though ‘Carry Me On’ does share some of the clichés we’ve come to expect recently from the more commercial offerings, it balances them against a fresher sound of trumpets and a hot, summer feel. Though it’ll always be more for fans of the genre, it should certainly up the style to a wider audience with its nod to a more commercial and catchy sound. (6.5/10)
Watch the video.
Charlene Soraia – ‘Broken’
Soraia’s third original single after her breakthrough cover of The Calling’s ‘Wherever You Will Go’, ‘Broken’ is a slow, simply produced ballad dominated by her emotive voice. A quieter, less impactful start makes way for a touching, building chorus that balances well next to the guitar riff. A tune that lets its power increase through the record, the gentle mix of instruments and soothing vocals hook you in, leading to a heartfelt Coldplay-esque love song that makes up for its average verses with a great chorus and sound. (7/10)
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Disclosure – ‘F For You’
The fourth single from Disclosure’s debut album, ‘F For You’ is another song that contradicts your expectation of what the song will sound like. Their latest single is a more subtle affair that only really splashes down into familiar territory at the three minute mark. Before then it feels more like an older low-tempo dance track from the 1990s. With stronger lyrics than we’d expect from their area of music, this is a likable and quoteable track with a few tricks up their sleeve to keep it interesting, though the chorus does perhaps get a little too repetitive for multiple plays. (6.5/10)
Watch the video.
Imagine Dragons – ‘It’s Time’
Re-releasing their debut single following their success with ‘Radioactive’, here are Imagine Dragons with a track that makes for a pleasing enough four-minute listen but feels like it’s missing something and only really kicks up its pace at about three-minutes in with its mix of vocal layers. Lacking the immediate hook of their bigger hit, it has its moments and seeds of things to enjoy, but never quite runs with them. The Killers vibe throughout the record is welcome, as is the build up at the end, but it feels like too little too late. (4/10)
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Lana Del Rey vs Cedric Gervais – ‘Summertime Sadness’
A remix of a song from her first album which charted last year, it isn’t a huge departure really from the original. It’s faster and the downbeat drums of the original have been replaced with a happier, clappier drumtrack, and the usual synth elements associated with a remix. It strips the heart out of the slower original and replaces it with a more club friendly vibe that marries the original verses with an off-the-shelf chorus riff. If you enjoyed the original but would rather have raved to it than observed its lyrics, then you’ll be in your element here. Not a bad remix, but not very imaginative. (6.5/10)
Watch the video.
Miley Cyrus – ‘We Can’t Stop’
You can always tell when a song isn’t as good as you’d hope when it’s coupled with a dodgy, experimental and weird music video, one that’s designed to cast aside the family-friendly past of, in this case, a Disney star. ‘We Can’t Stop’ features a rather bored-sounding Miley Cyrus spouting clichéd lyrics and ooh-these-are-so-controversial words in the verse, before contributing to a better, but still too familiar and repetitive chorus, which only really hooks in with the distorted male-vocal-led mantra. We do get a more interesting set of values at a breakdown two-and-a-half minutes in, but otherwise it’s back to the drawing board Miley. (4.5/10)
Watch the video.
Miles Kane – ‘Taking Over’
Miles Kane keeps churning out singles like nobody’s business and here is his new one ‘Taking Over’. It’s not a bad track but he certainly has a habit of releasing sound-a-like singles. The indie vibe and retro sounds of this new one are as well observed as always, there’s some great guitar work going on and the tempo change into the thumping chorus works, but elsewhere it feels too much like business as usual with a lack of any real key moment outside of the chorus. (5/10)
Watch the video.
Noah & The Whale – ‘Lifetime’
The second cut from their ‘Heart of Nowhere’ album, ‘Lifetime’ can never be accused of being a shift in style as this is Noah and the Whale at their very familiar, but equally lacking their ear for a hook that we expect from them. It’s a jaunty enough number with a warming bridge and chorus, plus an opening violin section that should really have been weaved more into the track, alongside the oriental post-chorus break. Fans of the band will enjoy this as it fits nicely into their back catalogue, but it’s not going to win over any new fans or hold the interest of the casual listener. (5/10)
Watch the video.
Primal Scream – ‘Invisible City’
The third single from this year’s Primal Scream album boasts a chunky bass riff and a slow build-up of elements, powering up to a synth-tinged chorus. It’s a funky song with the sleepy vocals of lead singer Bobby Gillespie laid peacefully over them. At almost five minutes long it feels like a long visit to the Invisible City and as a place to spend time in it’s a little like Milton Keynes: nice to visit but you wouldn’t want to spend much time there. A funky chorus pulls you in, but it’s not an attention holder. (5.5/10)
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RESET! – ‘I Need You’
‘I Need You’, coming hot on the heels of number one ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii, feels like it shares some of the DNA with its indie-based verses and then typical dance-focussed chorus. When it concentrates on the former it succeeds, when it starts with the rave-influenced choruses it lacks character. RESET!’s new single is a confused mixed of elements that just about holds together for its opening but lacks any new ideas in its final third. (4/10)
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Sean Paul – ‘Other Side Of Love’
The lead single from his upcoming sixth album, ‘Other Side Of Love’ sees a more introspective Sean Paul at the start before returning to typical territory, which will at least keep the fans happy even if it doesn’t really bring anything we’ve not heard many times before, lacking the freshness of his better hits. Not a bad return from Paul, just too samey and the lyrics are hardly heart-felt or intricately written. (4.5/10)
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The Strypes – ‘What A Shame’
A sixties feel here from The Strypes, with a definite feel of going back fifty years, mixed in with a raw indie sound from the early days of the Arctic Monkeys or Franz Ferdinand. Short and sweet, ‘What A Shame’ is a smooth critique of the music industry dressed up in its retro style. Fans of indie will revel in this sound and it’s produced perfectly, but it never lifts its head above the parapet and doesn’t really grab. (5/10)
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Tinie Tempah feat. 2Chainz – ‘Trampoline (EP)’
The first song from his sophomore album, ‘Trampoline’, accompanied on the EP by various mixes and an instrumental, is a let-down. Whether it’s the lack of his collaborator Labrinth, here replaced on production duties by Diplo, I’m not sure, but the great sound he built up through his first album is absent here and replaced by a more generic style. His lyrics are as banal as ever, but without the strong music they were wrapped up in on his first album, feel exposed. The shake and jump riffs have a certain element of catchiness to them, but feel awkward matched up with everything else and the single changes its style in the final minute as if tagged on. An artificial new single which pales in comparison to his brilliant hits from his debut. A shame. (4/10)
Watch the video.
