Part two of my round up of the new singles available for digital download this week.
Lee Thompson’s Ska Orchestra feat. Bitty Mclean – ‘Fu Man Chu’
Though nobody in the video is wearing facial hair of the type described in the title, this chilled-out laid-back ska tune relaxes in its simplicity. For fans of the calmer side of Madness there will be plenty to latch on here, but it does wear its ska much cooler than you’d expect. Sunny, refreshing, silky-voiced and with a simple, short, but memorable chorus it’s a nice change from what else we’ve had this week. (6/10)
Watch the video.
Nina Nesbitt – ‘Way In The World’ (EP)
The title track from the EP sees Scottish singer-songwriter and Amy McDonald-sound-a-like Nina Nesbitt return and finally deliver us something bouncy and enjoyable on the new release list. The fun, but run of the mill, verses give away to a catchy, driving, stutter-led chorus that will quickly grab you. ‘Way In The World’ isn’t massively earth-shattering, but with its perky guitar and warm feeling, it’s just the sort of summer tune we need for a level three heat warning, or whatever classification the Met Office have slapped on July. The EP is rounded off with a demo of ‘Brit Summer’ then songs ‘Not Me’ and ‘Spiders’. (7/10)
Watch the video.
One Direction – ‘Best Song Ever’
It’s easy with such a title to make a wry quip about how it is, or isn’t, the best song ever, but most 1D fans will have already made up their minds. The lead single from their upcoming third album and also set to feature in their new biopic cinema release, ‘Best Song Ever’ is typical 1D from its anthemic, singable chorus to cheeky attitude permeating through its musical pores. Ticking all the pop boxes for their fan base, it’s pretty much regular business for the band, but it’s fun, care free, catchy, memorable and poppy enough, plus heavily McFly-sounding, to carry it off through the summer silly season. (7/10)
Watch the video.
Professor Green feat. Miles Kane – ‘Are You Getting Enough?’
The first cut from his third album, due for release in October, is perhaps Green’s darkest release yet for a lead single, with his observations masked under a rockier song, bookended by a growly dark chorus headed up by Kane. The rougher, retro-stylings of Kane works very well with Green’s rap, even over-shadowing and drowning them a little, and the simplicity catches on quickly, though becomes irritating just as fast. Feeling like the sister track to Plan B’s ‘Ill Manors’, it’s quite a shift change for Green but he manages to pull it off with the new direction welcomed; it’s just a shame the message and morals is drowned out by the loud production values. (7/10)
Watch the video.
Roll Deep feat. Camille – ‘All Or Nothing’
It’s pretty much business as usual for Roll Deep when it comes to ‘All or Nothing’. With a drum-led chorus from Camille that provides the hook, it’s sandwiched between recognisable verses from Wiley and crew, who only appear in 20 second bursts each making their contributions far smaller than Camille’s. If you’ve enjoyed their previous hits, then you’ll recognise many of the elements here. The chorus makes the record but within the first sixty seconds you’ll have heard everything you need to know to make your mind up about the track and it fails to do anything that builds on that first minute. (6/10)
Watch the video.
Scouting For Girls – ‘Millionaire’
After just three albums SFG release their greatest hits, from which this is taken. Though such a compilation feels a little premature, ‘Millionaire’ is classic Scouting For Girls. Ditching their typical prominent piano sound for a more Jason Mraz-feel but keeping the cheesy lyrics, this will please the fan base as it doesn’t really doing anything we don’t expect from Roy Stride and crew. Not quite up to ‘Love How It Hurts’ in the touching-ballad stakes, it’s difficult, though, to listen along to ‘Millionaire’ without tapping your foot and smiling, with its well trodden ground feeling reassuring. (7.5/10)
Watch the video.
Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran – ‘Everything Has Changed’
The fourth single from her album ‘Red’ is another corker, this time a soft, acoustic-led ballad with Ed Sheeran, his best work in a long time. Well written and delivered, its simplicity and weaving in of the vocals of Sheeran help the track build up from humble begins to some great power at its conclusion. Very well produced and sung, bringing the lyrics to life, it feels like the best work yet from them both. (7.5/10)
Watch the video.
The Weeknd – ‘Belong To The World’
Built over a gunfire-style production effect, ‘Belong To The World’ is a difficult song to enjoy as it lacks any real peaks or troughs and the use of strings and the light vocals of Abel Tesfaye get lost under the industrial repetitive loop, and it takes a while for them to shine as the music pulls back slightly. Somewhere there is a good song screaming to get out, but it seems lost in a stagnating, lacking tune. (4/10)
Watch the video.
