My round up of the new singles available for digital download this week. 
The Amazing Snakeheads – ‘Flatlining’
From the same label as Franz Ferdinand comes this slow, lumbering number headed up by a sombre, gruff singer echoing over a chunky bassline. It’s so slow it’s almost pedestrian and pretty uncommercial, but with unusual vocals that make it immediately stand out from the crowd thanks to its reliance on heavy echo effects. The chorus just about lifts up out of the rawness and there’s some fun from the guitar that sticks with you, but it’s too lumbering and minimalistic to really grab me. Interesting, different and experimental, just not quite what I’d look for in a song. The only thing flatlining, as the song stretches past the five minute mark, is my attitude towards the track. (4/10)
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Blitz Kids – ‘Sometimes’
The home grown rock band return with this surprisingly light and fresh number with shades of ‘Panic! At The Disco’ though after a promising opening built around the song title, this quick punky rock number descends into a bit of a ramble with no one strong idea, flailing as it does between different moments without consensus. It’s a nice enough piece and will keep their fans happy and the “YOLO” chorus and attitude hit you as it accelerates to its conclusion, but it’s a bit of a mess. (5.5/10)
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Boy George – ‘My God’
The second cut from his ‘This Is What I Do’ album has the unenviable task of following the great ‘King of Everything’ and in many ways ‘My God’ has a very similar sound at its start and in its verses, as if it was a part two of that comeback track, but thankfully the chorus stands out more from that template with its positive, stirring though slightly religiously controversial chorus. It’s not as grabbing as his 2013 hit but it’s full of guts and pop sensibilities and the rousing chorus and the chantable section two thirds in make it pretty listenable. A fun piece of pop with a surprising edge and some strong production values. (6.5/10)
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Chris Malinchak – ‘If U Got It’
Single number 2 for Mr Malinchak and it abides to one of my laws of music videos: mostly, if the video has to stop for a considerable time to play out a bit of story, they’ve had to interject the music because it’s a bit tedious. And it’s the case here. ‘If U Got It’ (the song hasn’t) is a slow, tedious airy-fairy dance number that is a bit like the most boring ghost in a haunted house: you can hear it, you know it’s there, but it’s not exciting. Entirely forgettable and bland, with annoying vocal effects placed on top and a backing track that’s far too repetitive. Deserves to be exorcised. (3/10)
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Colbie Caillat – ‘Hold On’
Co-written with Ryan “OneRepublic” Tedder whose hit rate is particularly high and noticeable here, and lends a sound to the record that makes this more noticeable than what I’ve listened to so far today. Taken from her as-yet-unnamed fifth album, ‘Hold On’ is a gentle, atmospheric ballad led by the sultry vocals of Caillat, though if I’m being honest with myself it doesn’t really tread any new ground. But it’s a gentle, smooth, soothing listen with echoes of The Killers and, of course, OneRepublic. Nice enough and sticks with you for a bit, especially the simple but singable chorus, but it’s not incredible. (6.5/10)
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Gorgon City feat. MNEK – ‘Ready For Your Love’
Single 4 and Gorgon City team up with MNEK to create this summery, uplifting soulful number that exudes positivity with a catchy, repeated loop based around the title of the song. Musically it’s pretty generic and familiar and doesn’t really advance the genre in any way, but it’s enjoyable and gets your foot tapping. Just a little tired, that’s all and the repetitiveness that gives it its catchiness quickly becomes, well, too repetitive. (5.5/10)
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Katy B – ‘Crying For No Reason’
‘5am’ was one of my favourite songs of 2013 and here, finally, is its follow-up from Katy B’s impending second album ‘Little Red’. With plenty of power portrayed by a great, emotionally-charged vocal, ‘Crying For No Reason’ is every bit as good as that song with a well-placed electronic backing and a well-written lyric sheet. Proving her second album singles to be far superior to her first generic-club hits, I hope for big things for this with its emotiveness, complimentary music and classic sound. (8/10)
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Leon Else – ‘Protocol’
‘Protocol’ from Leon Else is a passionately-charged number that’s led by Else’s powerful vocals and the throbbing, minimalistic backing track. It’s a song that takes a few listens to settle in and struggles at times with its heavy beat that doesn’t quite do the balladesque number justice, but the power holds it together and keeps your listening. With a sly direction towards to Bastille, this should find its fan base in that area. Not a bad number, just missing that little something. (6/10)
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Lonely The Brave – ‘Trick of the Light’
‘Lonely The Brave’ are an alternative rock band from Cambridge and their latest is a mid-tempo rock number with a distinctive lead vocal though it doesn’t really chart its own path from others in the genre, merging in with other similar tracks from similar bands. It’s good enough but that’s a boring statement for a standard number. The final titular chant bit spices things up at the end though. (5/10)
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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Schoolboy Q and Hollis – ‘White Walls’
Onto single six from the single-spewing album ‘The Heist’ and western is the theme of the day, with a strong production focus on capturing the good, the bad and the ugly. But the song itself is neither of those three, and is just a bit, well, meh. Having given us a collection of singles that turn hip-hop conventions on their head, this ode to cars feels like a let-down. It’s not helped by the fact the chipmunk-choral hook is incomparable to ‘Thrift Shop’ or ‘Can’t Hold Us’. With some boring contributions to the record, this is one single too many for Macklemore. Disappointing, and it just drags on for far too long. (3.5/10)
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Miley Cyrus – ‘Adore You’
Forgetting its controversy, ‘Wrecking Ball’ was a brilliant tune following ‘We Can’t Stop’ which was pretty good. Third single ‘Adore You’, however, is tedious and even another controversial video can’t save it (though to be honest there’s very little seduction in the film, which is as boring as the song). The slow pace and stretched-out words and tired chorus do little to help the record, which is pretty forgettable. The album is called ‘Bangerz’. This is very far away from being a banger. (2/10)
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Mø – ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’
The sixth cut from her debut album (due to be released next month) kicks up the pace with this trumpet-sampling number built around her chirpy vocal. Soulfully-enthused with a synth line seemingly nicked from Bastille’s recent interpolation of Snap’s ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’ it’s a nice enough number but doesn’t really stick out. Fans of ‘Florence and the Machine’ and the similar will enjoy this, and the uptempo chorus should grab the average radio listener. Not bad. (6.5/10)
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Paul Thomas Saunders – ‘Good Women’
‘Good Women’ is a gentle, ethereal number that feels like a Keane record if they were a little bit more experimental and wacky. It’s slow, ponderous pace works for the record and it creates a nice, smooth atmosphere. It’s not really for me as it lacks that killer punch, but it’s a gentle, peaceful listen while it’s on, and the production works well. (5/10)
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Seth Lakeman – ‘The Courier’
Back with a new release, this cinematic sea-faring folk number sounds like it has been taken straight from the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. With some incredible instrumentation on show, this powers along carried by the classical backing. Surely this will appear on a film trailer at some point? Enjoyable listen. (7/10)
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Shaka Ponk – ‘Wanna Get Free’
If you’re of that persuasion and have run out of mind-altering drugs then this video should recreate the effect on a budget. ‘Wanna Get Free’ is a rather eccentric but addictive number with its thirties-vibe opening and seventies-focussed chorus and heavily manipulated vocals. The lyrics are bonkers, the track messy and the style unlike anything else this week, but somehow it all works. If you’re not singing along to the chorus by the end and feeling yourself lured in by the eccentricity, then you’re not concentrating. Wacky, but great. (7/10)
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Sia and Angel Haze – ‘Battle Cry’
Produced by the reliable Greg Kurstin, ‘Battle Cry’ lifts its style from the catalogue of Eminem, in particular the recent ‘The Monster’ or his other Rihanna collaboration but adapts it to its own. With Sia always good value on a chorus, Angel Haze keeps the flow going and holds the piece together. It doesn’t quite have the gusto to keep going for five minutes, but it’s powerful and well produced enough to keep you interested for much of that. Familiarity breeds some contempt, but not too much here, though some fresh ideas in the second half wouldn’t go amiss. (7/10)
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Steel Panther – ‘The Burden of Being Wonderful’
1980s rock band parody group ‘Steel Panther’ follow up last year’s ‘Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World’ with this second cut from ‘All You Can Eat’. Though the video has a lot of wit and is thoroughly tongue-in-cheek the humour in the song is sparse and not really either obvious or cleverly hidden. ‘The Burden of Being Wonderful’ lacks the gusto of their last hit and just comes across as a band trying to sound like Bon Jovi. The pastiche is nailed, but it’s neither distinctive enough of a track to stand on its own nor a particularly hilarious spoof. (6/10)
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Superfood – ‘TV’
‘TV’, the debut release from Superfood, is a raw sounding number that mixes the early sound of 1990s Detroit bands and the punky attitude of the Wombats. It takes a few spins to settle in, but the chorus and growly vocals of the lead singer will win you over. It’s not a hugely commercial offering, but the song spins some magic half-way through that stays with you to the end. (6.5/10)
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Tinashe feat. Schoolboy Q – ‘2On’
Actress, voice artist and singer Tinashe releases her latest single from either her incoming first album or fourth mixtape. ‘2On’ is a middle-of-the-road RnB number. Pretty smooth but pretty unmemorable, it’s most appealing moment is when it randomly interpolates Sean Paul’s 2005 hit ‘We Be Burnin’’. Schoolboy Q’s rap is short and ok and pretty distasteful, which sums up the song, which is just here. Not bad, but not exciting. When the best bit of your song is lifted straight from a nine year old hit you have problems. (4.5/10)
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Will.I.Am Feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & French Montana – ‘Feelin’ Myself’
Will.I.Am continues his journey into parody, whipping out his rhyming dictionary for the early 2014 contender for the stupidest lyrics awards of 2014. The beat is pretty good and the swapping between the different artists works well and keeps the interest going for its four minutes, but the words are just so ridiculous it’s just hard to take it seriously. It’s like a clown playing classical music: sounds good but is absolutely ridiculous. (4/10)
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