Single Reviews – 14 October
Guest reviewer Philip Lickley takes us through his pick of the coming weeks top single releases.
Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch – ’Sweet Nothing’
[rating:1.5/5]
Buy: Sweet Nothing
Harris’ sixth single from an album that isn’t even out yet, ‘Sweet Nothing’ shows signs of his magic wearing off. Over an out-of-the-box electronic backing, Welch’s vocals are as well sung and powerful as ever but the words, style and production are overly familiar and too bland to really make an impact. It has its moments, thanks to its perky keyboard solo, but it certainly doesn’t grab you like ‘Bounce’ or ‘We Feel Love’.
Everything Everything – ’Cough Cough’
[rating:3/5]
Buy: Cough Cough
With some refreshing production that stands out from the formulaic tunes that are churned out at the moment like the song above, ‘Cough Cough’ is a track that doesn’t let you lose interest, throwing many interesting concepts at you. It perhaps doesn’t live up to the eccentric opening but the falsetto chorus and fast-paced bridge certainly keep the track alight. It could be seen as too eclectic for its own good with perhaps too many ideas kicking around but it’s the most exciting and fun to hear release this week.
Josephine – ’Original Love’
[rating:3/5]
Buy: Original Love
‘Original Love’ by Josephine is a soulful ballad with a bit of a kick to it, complemented by a rhythmic xylophone-based backing. It’s not particular earth shattering and passes by pleasantly after three minutes. An enjoyable, soothing three minutes, it’s worth a listen thanks to its simple production and listenable lyrics.
Lawson – ’Standing In The Dark’
[rating:3.5/5]
Buy: Standing In The Dark
‘Standing In The Dark’ is pretty much typical boyband fodder with its harmonies, boy-loses-girl lyrics and acapella section. Lyrically it’s nothing you’ve not heard before but the production, words and songs are designed to pull at the heartstrings. It’s not their strongest single but it feels like a grower and it captures the subject matter well and builds nicely to its conclusion, sounding like a rockier Boyzone.
Pet Shop Boys – ’Leaving’
[rating:3.5/5]
Buy: Leaving
The second single from their ‘Elysium’ album is not as uptempo as ‘Winner’ but it still as much of a winner. With some laid back vocals laid down over a simple, but engaging, piano track there is a lot of great atmosphere built up through the production. With strong lyrics and a catchy, instantly hooking chorus, this is a strong follow-up from the boys.
Rebecca Ferguson – ’Backtrack’
[rating:3.5/5]
Buy: Backtrack
Another song tacked onto an album as a ‘deluxe edition’, ‘Backtrack’ is a retro-sounding track with a catchy, rhyming chorus that carries the song alongside the vocal backings. The verses are not quite as strong as the choruses but the increase in pace as the bridge builds powers the track along and it soon becomes stuck in your head. Another great single from an under-rated artist and one of the better X-Factor rejects.
