Archive for the ‘Singles’ Category
Monday, May 11th, 2009
I suppose it’s a bit late to say that this is great pop tune which should sell really well and might even make a Number One for a few weeks although, on first hearing the album at the beginning of 2009, it was one of the 2 tracks (along with “Just Dance”) which stood out as an obvious single. Both songs are good examples of how to make great pop singles with squeaky-clean radio-friendly production, perfect hooks, a voice which is good and just a little bit different and some fairly sleazy lyrics (gambling as a metaphor for sex). It’s a formula which has worked for decades, so why not make the most of it?
The marketing strategy for Lady Gaga is interesting, portraying her as the glamorous but obviously contrived bad girl while setting up appearances at the BRITs, G.A.Y. and a support slot on the Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination tour. All of this combined with the UK tour set up for June and July looks suspiciously like trying to cash in on a current phenomenon with a very limited shelf life (not new in the music business but becoming increasingly cynical, particularly with female artistes). (more…)
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
This single “Sunshine People” sounds like it was recorded by applying the ultimate “wall of sound” philosophy; turn everything up to 11 and hit it as hard as you can, even the vocals. This is great if your name’s Phil Spector (although 4 bass players is probably at least 3 too many), but here the result is just messy.
Inside this lumbering heavyweight is a pretty good song struggling to be let out, and a bit more subtlety and space in the mix would allow all of the good elements in the song to shine through instead of fighting with the tribal chants and drums for a fair hearing.
The distorted guitar and thunderous bass which start the song along with the chanted “na na na” refrain dominate the song almost to the exclusion of everything else until the brief breakdown to acoustic guitar and keyboard at about the halfway point, which adds some contrast before building back up again to the sledgehammer drums and bass driving it on to the end.
With a bit more subtlety and a bit more use of dynamics (turning down to 9 for 2 seconds doesn’t count), this song could be a mainstream contender because the hooks and the melody are there if you make the effort to dig them out. A remix by someone with an ear for radio play would do this no harm at all.
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
It would be easy to listen to the influences on display here (and there are many, from early U2 to current Snow Patrol and American blue-collar rock such as Springsteen and The Hold Steady) and dismiss Driving By Night as the sum of these influences but it’s not that easy. The band’s recorded sound has a cinematic, wide-screen feel that you would expect from a band that have been around a lot longer than these guys and ticks all the right boxes for emotive, angsty indie music.
“Promise In Youth” opens with a slow keyboard fade-in which is just beginning to sound over-long when the laser-bright, razor-sharp guitar motif cuts in creating the framework the song is built on. The structure of the song (a gradual build-up to a breakdown about two thirds in then a build-up again to the climax of the song) is very radio-friendly but also marks it out as a live anthem for the future.
This is only Driving By Night’s third single but they have the assurance of a band that have been around forever. Towards the end of the song, there’s an awful lot going on but the production is so clean that it every addition increases the power rather than adding clutter to the song.
Definitely one to hear live and I’m really interested in hearing the album now. Check out their MySpace.
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Saturday, April 4th, 2009
Ian Black’s single ‘Alone’ is probably best described as ‘light pop’. The lyrics, however provide an edge to the music which means that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear such a track on the soundtrack to an episode of ‘Skins’ or any such television drama.
Considering the track is based on the issue of being ‘alone’, it is still very upbeat and positive. This is immediately heard from the opening where the track starts in a style similar to that of McFly or Busted with a very bouncy with an engaging beat.
The lyrics really complement the music and neither would be as effective without the other, nor would it be as pleasing on the ears themselves.
The lyrics talk about relationships and dreams as well as being alone and also being left alone. They hint towards a traumatic type of experience, surrounding the issue of being alone which eventually draws the track to the solo voice that gradually and steadily draws back to the original template and tempo of the song.
It could be that Ian Black is attempting to replicate aspects of life itself, that there are ups and downs but the main thing is just to get on and live through it. Whatever his message, this is a highly addictive song, which deserves to be listened to, at least once.
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