Here’s Philip Lickley’s pick of this weeks singles. If you would like to contribute to All-Noise, get in touch at [email protected].
Single Reviews – 15 April
B.O.B – ’So Good’
[rating:3.5/5]
Buy So Good
Available in 3D if you have Nintendo’s 3D-ready handheld, how does the song stand up compared to the video? The second single from his upcoming second album is unashamedly positive and, like Labrinth’s ‘Last Time’, name drops so many worldwide travel spots that it should be sponsored by Thomas Cook. Perhaps not as memorable as his previous singles but it screams early summer hit with a jaunty piano, singable chorus, Kaiser-esque “la” moments and lyrics that are not afraid to tackle some more interesting concepts and name drops alongside it’s typical boy-chasing-girl rnb stylings.
Keane – ’Silenced By The Night’
[rating:3/5]
Buy Silenced By The Night
A long awaited single from Keane after two years absence from the charts comes in the shape of ‘Silenced By The Night’. Anyone expecting a departure will be disappointed as it sounds like traditional Keane, which in fact isn’t actually a bad thing. After the interesting direction they went with their last single, though – K’naan featuring ‘Stop For A Minute’ – it’s a shame that this is less exciting. The emotive voice, the class piano work, the building strings, it’s all there, but there seems to be something missing and it could be that the verses and chorus buffer too much into each other. I feel it could well be a grower but at the moment it’s not one of their best.
LMFAO – ’Sorry For Party Rocking’
[rating:4/5]
Buy Sorry For Party Rocking [Explicit]
In a similar vein to my experience with their previous hit ‘Sexy And I Know It’ I hated this on first listen but soon it sticks in your head with its catchy titular hook call-out – taken from the album of the same name – the thick synth line and the rapping. Sure the chorus at times seems forced but it’s another catchy tune from the LMFAO duo with a title destined for popular culture alongside ‘Everyday I’m Shufflin’’ and their sexy single. It’s cheap, tacky and cheesy but fun to listen to with lots of elements that work well to create a tongue-in-cheek club hit.
Marina & The Diamonds – Primadonna
[rating:4/5]
Buy Primadonna
After several preview songs and videos ahead of her second album out later this month, here is the first single proper. ‘Primadonna’. Initially not as great as ‘Homewrecker’ released on her website, surely a better choice as single, the appeal of this track soon becomes apparent. Shifting brilliantly from a light-vocalled ballad to an upbeat club-beat bridge to a building chorus it’s a song that moves through styles as many times as she moves through the rooms in the video. With some subtle but striking vocal shifts and production, it’s lyrically interesting to listen to too. It won’t sound as good as ‘Oh No’ or ‘Hollywood’ after a first listen but will soon build to being a cracking first single.
Train – ’Drive By’
[rating:4.5/5]
Buy Drive By
The lead single from Train’s upcoming sixth album is one of those rare singles that could become their signature track, especially tricky in the light of hits such as ‘Drops of Jupiter’ and ‘Hey Soul Sister’. In my opinion this is the strongest of the three tracks with a bouncy, immediately like-able guitar riff and vocal flow. There may well be a few forced rhymes in its lyrics but as a summer radio-friendly pop tune you’ll be hard pressed to find something better out there at the moment.
