“I don’t think there’s been a better story than Mike Posner.”
Tom: Over the years we’ve been writing this, Tim, I don’t think there’s been a better story than Mike Posner. When we first talked about him — on “Cooler Than Me” nearly nine years ago — I summed him up with three words: “what a dick“. In 2011, I called him “Chinstrap McPoser“.
Then he disappeared for a while, and came back with “I Took A Pill In Ibiza“, which we missed — but which certainly put him in a different light.
Tim: And we never did discover whether Avicii thought he was cool, did we?
Tom: And now: well.
Tim: Oh, wow.
Tom: The story’s as important as the music, there. Don’t get me wrong, the music’s also good: but the story’s better.
“For every questionable bit, there’s a good part to match it.”
Tim: The first line of this song’s chorus reminds me of another one. I’m not sure which, but I think it’s by Imagine Dragons, and at first I though it was Believer but then it turned out it isn’t (though there are still similarities), but now I’ve hit play on too many songs to ever have an idea, so let’s just have a listen to this one.
Tim: Not bad, is it?
Tom: That introduction and first verse sounds like it’s from a Bond theme. In fact, I think that’s what you might be comparing it to, aside from Believer.
Tim: Hmm, maybe, but I don’t think so. Anyway, it’s her second track out, after last September’s No Fake Love, and I’m fairly sure it can be described an entirely serviceable piece of pop music. Production’s on point, vocal’s good, melody works well with its slight air of discordance and aggression.
Tom: Some very odd synth choices in there towards the end, particularly that ‘shaking-a-pot-of-yogurt’ sound in the first bit of the middle eight. But for every questionable bit, there’s a good part to match it, usually straight after.
Tim: I do wish I could remember what it reminds me of, mind, but ah, well. Hopefully, Maja’s output rate will increase and we’ll get a third track some time before January 2021, but if not, well, this’ll do in the meantime.
“At some point, we should probably stop covering every Westlife single.”
Tom: At some point, we should probably stop covering every Westlife single.
Tim: Oh, I don’t know, I think it’s nice that someone’s doing it.
Tom: Well, this is not that point. Particularly as the album came out on Friday.
Tom: I had the usual ‘modern Westlife track’ reaction to this: got distracted and forgot it was playing during the first verse, then perked up at the chorus. And then — which is a departure from normal — actually started listening properly at the second bit of the chorus.
Tim: See, I was deliberately paying attention, but still had the same “ooh!” reaction to the chorus coming, when the first cymbal hit.
Tom: I’m sure I’ve heard that piano counterpoint melody in the chorus somewhere before — between that and the guitar behind the middle eight, it really sounds like they’ve taken some style tips from Coldplay. That’s not a bad thing at all.
Tim: No, no even slightly. I wouldn’t say no to a key change, mind, but aside from that this is fine.
Tom: Frankly, this sounds like a big emotional number from a soundtrack, and I think it’s probably the best one off the album.
“As heather and grass plants become older, they become less palatable and less nutritious. The process of burning small areas removes the older growth and allows the plants to regenerate after the burn.”
Tom: You know it’s going to be a Deep, Artistic Album when bands start playing about with the capitalisation of their tracks.
Tim: Very true, and for the agriculturally challenged amongst us, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust provides a lengthy explainer. Key sentences: “As heather and grass plants become older, they become less palatable and less nutritious. The process of burning small areas removes the older growth and allows the plants to regenerate after the burn.” Now you know that, here’s the new Pet Shop Boys track.
Tim: Now, I don’t want to be accused of taking anything to seriously or anything, but according to that link heather burning typically happens October to April, with the vast majority of it happening in the spring – any earlier, you see, and the ground is dry and it’s harder to control, so the line ‘autumn is here and they’re burning the heather’ is, well, if not entirely incorrect then certainly dubitable, with its implication that we’re round about late August, early September. I just find it difficult to take seriously, really. Though, seriously, what are those lyrics about?
Tom: I’m not entirely sure, and that “hell for leather” lyric lands like a brick through a window. I’ve said here before that Tennant and Lowe are much better producers and remixers than they are pop songwriters. I don’t mean that as an insult: they’ve written some absolute bangers: It’s A Sin, Left To My Own Devices, New York City Boy, Rent, and, yes, more. Those are all good songs. They have a heck of a Greatest Hits album.
But the big, breakthrough, mainstream, radio-play pop hits, the ones they end the concerts with, are covers: Always On My Mind and Go West.
Tim: Huh, I’d never thought of that before, but you’re right. I’d also add The Pop Kids to that list, though.
Tom: So new Pet Shop Boys music needs to be seen in that light: it’s probably not going to be a Big Radio Smash Hit. But it is probably going to be a good song.
Tim: Fair, and it’s worth noting the music’s not bad. Certainly wasn’t what I expected to hear when I pressed play, mind, but then as soon as Neil’s vocals came along I was very “ah, yep there it is” and it sounded okay.
Tom: Yep. Once you manage your expectations of both music and instruments, this is a decent Pet Shop Boys track.
Tom: We talked yesterday about how terrible lyrics can ruin a song. In this case, it’s not necessarily the lyrics: it’s specifically the lyric video.
Tom: Repeating half of the syllables of a word is an old trick, and there’s nothing actually wrong with it. But somehow, seeing “milli” it written out like that, with emoji flying by because some designer thought “sure, that’s what kids like, that’ll do”? It highlights what is, when I think about it, actually a pretty bad bit of songwriting: there has to be a better, more clever way of fitting that sentiment into that rhythm, and they didn’t.
Tim: Hmm, I don’t know – I don’t really have a problem with that. Sure, it’s not the best lyrical format, not by a long way, but it is standard enough that it doesn’t annoy me. What does get me (and probably wouldn’t have done if you hadn’t pointed out there was something annoying for me to find, so thanks) is the “I’m a call ya”. Now, I don’t know how that’s meant to be spelt – to be honest, I’m not sure there is an official spelling, but I’m almost certain it’s definitely not as two words implying that HRVY is himself an actual verb.
Tom: I mean, the rest of the song’s good enough, the kids’ll probably like it anyway.
Tim: Hell, I even quite like it, which isn’t something I ever thought I’d say about a HRVY song. Still a stupid name, mind.
“Solid Middle Of The Road Adult Man Serious Artist Who Attracts Women”
Tom: We’re about a month late to this one — enough to flag it up, not quite enough to make it a Flashback, particularly as it’s the lead single off the still-upcoming second album.
Tim: Good, let’s do it. Care to provide an intro?
Tom: Ladies and gentlemen (but, from the marketing, mostly ladies): please welcome Olly Murs Junior. Or possibly Jeremy Renner Junior, depending on whether you go by sound or look. This is someone whose publicist is emphasising: Solid Middle Of The Road Adult Man Serious Artist Who Attracts Women.
Tom: First of all, full marks to the video director for keeping that eyeline in at 2:48.
Tim: Good video throughout, really.
Tom: But aside from that: who’s this song aimed at? The old teenage 1D fans, moving to a sound that’s more mature? Their mums? The people that downloaded the Jeremy Renner app? Or — and I suspect this is a well-paying demographic — people looking for soundtracks to expensive commercials?
Tim: My guess is the first one (and, sure, the last one) – artists have varied their sounds throughout their career way back to the dawn of time, it’s up to the fans to keep up with it, and ideally the radio stations to keep playing it, which, yep, seems to be happening.
Tom: I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it. It is, literally, easy listening. It also just seems an odd choice, given that he’s in his mid-twenties and not his mid-forties.
Tom: There I was, thinking there was no interesting music to send you: and then I realise we’ve missed Sigrid’s new track. A quick warning: it’s not what you’d expect. There’s a harp.
Tim: Hmm, gosh.
Tom: Once you adjust to the fact that Sigrid — not exactly known for writing love songs — has done a full, proper ballad: well, this is good, isn’t it? There are very few vocalists who have a recognisable vocal quality that lifts them up above session singers. This is both surprisingly traditional and still recognisably Sigrid.
Tim: Can’t disagree with a word of that. I prefer her usual stuff – certainly can’t say I’d like an album of this – but yeah, it’s good ballad.
Tom: Now, I reckon a couple of lines of that beautiful, soaring chorus do owe at least a tip of the hat to the chorus of Lionel Richie’s Hello, but that’s by the by. I still hit ‘play’ a second time.
Tim: Blimey, high praise from you there. And yeah, deserved.
“Brilliant chorus. Shame about the rest of it, really.”
Tom: Bastille and Marshmallo’s Happier is still getting regular airplay, more than a year after release. So it makes sense to do it all over again with someone else.
Tim: Sure, why not.
Tom: Brilliant chorus. Shame about the rest of it, really.
Tim: Yeah – it’s telling that every time I think “oh, this is actually pretty, I’ll ignore what Tom’s just said”, it turns out that it’s just because the chorus has started up.
Tom: I think the difference this time is that, while Alessia Cara has a great voice, that’s all she can bring: she doesn’t have an entire sound and style that can be mashed in with the recognisable vocals. Happier worked before it was, unexpectedly, a good mashup of two sounds, but this: sadly, it’s not enough of an Anthem, and it’s not enough of a Ballad.
Tim: Can’t disagree with any of that, really. Shame.
“I actually did find myself waving my arms in the air.”
Tim: Alex here, singing about Your Shoes, or, rather, the fact that no-one can fill them. How sweet.
Tom: Good heavens, who picked those brass synth pads? They sound like a MIDI keyboard from the 90s. They could afford a choir, but they couldn’t afford an actual trumpet?
Tim: Oh, hush. We’ve almost two songs in one, here – the standard and fairly unremarkable verses, which fortunately make up a comparatively small amount of time, and then OH that GLORIOUS brassy chorus.
Tom: It is a wonderful, schlagery chorus, isn’t it? Full-on, hands-waving-back-and-forth, entirely predictable chord progressions. Not a complaint, that.
Tim: Oh, no – and during the middle of the final three choruses I actually did find myself waving my arms in the air. It’s a jubilant sound, which is somewhat bizarre given the lyrics: basic narrative is that she left him because he was a dick; he’s now saying that he’s getting off with new girls left right and centre, but none of them are quite as good so can she come back. TRIUMPHANT BRASS!
Tom: Amazing. I wonder if there’s anyone in the world that would work on?
Tim: I’ve been trying to think, to make a snarky comment, but nope, I’ve got nothing. To be honest, though, I don’t care that the sound doesn’t fit, because it’s bloody wonderful to listen to, and really just over all too quickly.
Tom: Just… maybe they should hire an actual brass section.
Tim: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, Tom. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID.
Tom: I mean, yes, I do, but I’m fairly sure you don’t.
Tim: Maybe not, but SKAAR reckons she does.
Tom: And I’m fairly sure she doesn’t either.
Tim: Oh, well that shows her. Apparently this is an anthem to “all the women out there that think men should own up to their own shit”, and having just watched an episode of The Apprentice where one guy said “yeah, one second darling” to his female team-mate and got no pushback about it whatsoever, I’m all for that.
Tom: Well, that’s one of the worst paragraphs we’ve had here for a while. Pity about the music, though.
Tim: You think? Because I think this is a message that is massively boosted when it comes with such an enormous backing to it, loud and thrashy and intense, that means there can be absolutely no misunderstanding about it. Helpfully, it’s one I love as well.
Tom: I just wish I actually liked the song! “Loud and thrashy and intense” isn’t something I actually want to listen to.
Tim: Oh. Well, for me: strong message, strong music, love it.
