Tom: Oh good heavens, I remember this. Why do you bring it back to haunt me?
Tim: No idea – for the life of me, I can’t imagine what it might have been that brought this to my mind when I awoke today, but anyway: it’s five years ago, Glee is steadily becoming a smash hit, and every act and their dog is trying to capitalise on that by covering Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. This London-based singer’s version was one of the (comparatively) more adventurous takes on the song.
Tim: And that is somewhat ridiculous but nonetheless very enjoyable.
Tom: “Very”?
Tim: Oh yes. It’s easy to dismiss tracks like this as cheap and lazy, but this has actually had some thought put into it, and has some decent production values.
Tom: I’ll grant you that it’s got all the right production values for a generic dance cover, but it breaks one of the critical rules of a cover like this: don’t surprise the people singing along on the dancefloor. Missing out the first “Strangers, waiting” bit is pretty unforgivable.
Tim: Hmm, there is that. But on the other hand, one of the nicest things about this is that by the second chorus I worry it’s going to pull the same kind of fast one that Wednesday’s track did, with absolutely nothing happening at the end.
Tom: Oh, come on, you think they’re going to end that middle eight with anything but a stock Euphoric Build?
Tim: Oh no, and admittedly it doesn’t do anything it hasn’t really done before, but it’s done in such a way, contrasting with the dropped-down-to-nothing middle eight, and following that excitable build, that the chorus suddenly feels new and exciting again, and one I really, really want to jump around to with a massive grin on my face.
Tom: As long as you don’t follow his example and stand on the train tracks while you’re doing it. Honestly. Basic railway safety here, people, there’s a midnight train going anywhere arriving soon.
Tim: Not only that, but most importantly: NEON SIGNS AND ANGEL WINGS.