Author: Tim

John Martin – Anywhere For You

“It’s like Swedish House Mafia never split up.”

Tim: A voice you’ll recognise, but likely not the name, as John was the guy that did the voices for, amongst others, Don’t You Worry Child, Save the World and Children of the Sun.

Tom: I know it’s all to do with contracts, rights, and agent negotiations, but I do feel like the vocalists should get more credit. That said: it’s not like the songwriters or producers have credit on this one.

Tim: The dance music influence seems to have paid off, and now he’s doing his own stuff. Like this.

Tom: Crikey. It’s a bit like the Swedish House Mafia didn’t split up.

Tim: And yeah – that dance music influence really did pay off, as this is, by and large, very similar to previous Swedish House Mafia tracks, and that’s a huge compliment. We’ve said in the past that he has a talent for putting hefty amounts to emotion into what’s basically just yelling and trying to be heard, and that’s as true here as it’s ever been. The production underneath: as brilliant as when he was singing on top of other people’s production – like you say, it’s like Swedish House Mafia never split up.

Tom: Perhaps he’ll manage what Ester Dean didn’t, at least so far. That’s a long article, by the way, but entirely worth the read.

Tim: This is a fantastic dance track and deserves to go huge; he just has to overcome the unfortunate fact that ‘John Martin’ is a remarkably dull name to have. Blimey, just imagine only having two first names to go by.

Tom: Thanks for that, Tim.

Eurotix – I Plead Insanity

‘A slight “you could’ve varied that bit, maybe?” feeling.’

Tim: Says the e-mail, “We’re an 80’s retro synthpop/italo disco project from Sweden.” Succinct, you’ll agree, but also accurate.

Tom: Very accurate. Have you noticed how there aren’t many 90s retro acts? The 80s had a sound all to itself, whereas the 90s were more a prototype for the pop we still have around today.

Tim: Very true, and this song really does emulate that sound well – a while back I bought a Ministry of Sound Electric 80s compilation, and this could easily be one of the lead tracks on it. Is it good for that? Yes, it is, and it also comes with hints of BWO in there which is always pleasant.

Tom: I agree with all that, although at four minutes it does seem to outstay its welcome a bit.

Tim: You’re right, and I think that’s because while that hook is memorable and easy to grasp, it does mean that I’m left with a slight “you could’ve varied that bit, maybe?” feeling. Still, it’s a decent hook, the production’s very good and we can’t ask for a whole lot more. Maybe just a little less.

Saturday Reject: NeAngely – Courageous

“An interesting one, certainly.”

Tim: We all up for a trip to Ukraine?

Tom: Данцінґ!

Tim: Of course.

Tom: Look, they’re not going to beat Verka, are they?

Tim: Well not with this, certainly, what with it having been binned off already.

Tom: Blimey. That’s a bold choice for Eurovision: picking two women with fairly deep voices, at least as female vocalists go. That certainly sets it aside from the pack, but I’m not sure the rest of the production’s up to it.

Tim: There wasn’t a huge amount of great stuff in their contest this year, but this was a pleasant schlager highlight, being as it is a Melodifestivalen rejected written by notable Swede Alexander Bard. (As for the band name – no idea.)

Tom: It’s an interesting one, certainly, but there’s no way it’s a Eurovision winner.

Tim: The winner was actually rather disappointing in comparison, but given the difference between the original and final version of Gravity, that’s not necessarily something to worry about. It does make me wonder what they could have achieved with this given time and opportunity, though. Well, probably a key change. That’d be good.

Tom: It’s certainly disappointing without.

Dario G & Dame Shirley Bassey – We Got Music

“I’m literally having trouble coping with it.”

Tom: What? No, really, what?

Tim: Oh, you read that right – Dario G, him off summery dance tunes and official football songs, and Dame Shirley Bassey, her off James Bond films, orchestras and the olden days.

Tom: To be fair, “Sunchyme” counts as the olden days now.

Tom: My face is contorting as I listen to that — not because it’s bad, but because it’s absolutely bewildering. I mean, it’s exactly what I’d expect: it’s a standard 90s-style Dario G summer track, only with Dame Shirley Bassey. I’m not exaggerating one bit here: I’m literally having trouble coping with it.

Tim: In an interview with Wales Online (obviously), the formerly trio but now solo Dario, known to his mum at Paul, says it was “unreal at times, but she’s human like the rest of us”, which is good to know. It’s interesting how iconic a voice hers is – in a genre filled with anonymous female vocalists, it’s great how there are some voices that just stand out a unique, especially in that middle eight.

And also in a genre filled with anonymous female vocalists, I love how one guy thought “sod that lark, I want to work with Dame Shirley Bassey” and then just did.

Tom: Plus, she was up for doing it! That’s just as much of a surprise.

Tim: Gives hope to us all, really.

Christina Perri – I Don’t Wanna Break

“A real sort of ‘yes, this is happening, don’t you dare switch off’.”

Tim: Back in November we heard the first track from her second album; here’s the second.

Tom: Crikey. That’s very good.

Tim: It’s less vocal-focussed than last time, though obviously with her voice there’s only so much you can do to distract attention from it. We do, however, get a lovely rising piano and drum beating instrumental underneath most of it which works wonderfully with the nature of the vocal, breaking into pieces regularly and maintaining a real sort of “yes, this is happening, don’t you dare switch off” attitude.

Tom: Agreed: it sounds like it’s going for a final chorus when it’s only half way through the track, and then it just keeps rising and falling — and that last part drags your attention back and keeps you listening.

Tim: Right – it’s not all necessary, because anyone who turns this off with all the “aahh-ah-ah-ahh”ing going on is just an idiot, and doesn’t deserve to listen to it anyway.

Da Buzz – Can You Feel The Love

“Flood damage? I’ve got my SUMMER DANCE ON.”

Tim: Before you get your hopes up, this is not a danced-up version of the Lion King classic. Because that would have a Tonight on the end. Though it does have a Tonight in the lyrics. Oh, just have a listen.

Tom: That’s… well, it’s competent. It’s certainly not Elton, though.

Tim: Well, no. What it is instead is a (possibly three months too early) summer party banger that is absolutely and entirely what I feel like hearing right now, though I’m not sure I knew it. Rain? Flood damage? Transport chaos? Pah. I’ve got my SUMMER DANCE ON, and I’m forgetting about that, putting this on loud and having fun instead, dreaming of being up all night and in the Mediterranean. PARTY.

Tom: It certainly has that sort of association, but it’s a mid-set “keep the dance floor churning” track to me, something to be mixed into a big set, rather than a standout track on its own. There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing outstanding about it either — even that key change seemed a little prosaic, and that’s a bold thing to say about a key change.

Tim: Incidentally, if you did get your hopes up at the start and do want a danced-up version of the Lion King classic, you could do far worse than to hear this version by Harajuku. And please, do that. It’s wonderful. Or wonderfully awful. I don’t know which.

Tom: Ooh, bonus points for using Elton’s original lyrics, but Almighty Records’ version – it’s on Spotify – was obviously much better. In fact, just put that whole album on instead.

JTR – Ride

“What pretty much every boyband song has been ever since What Makes You Beautiful arrived”

Tim: What do you know, it’s a new boyband to fill the void left by The Wanted. Three brothers (John, Tom and Robin – clever name, right?), Sweden-born and Australian X Factor 2013 alumni. Fancy a listen?

Tim: And that is basically…well, what pretty much every boyband-with-instruments song has been ever since What Makes You Beautiful arrived.

Tom: Except this actually has the “useless record scratch” effect, last heard in Mmmbop. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Tim: It is possible that we’ve reached boyband saturation point? Synth-based The United aside, there’s really not much at all to distinguish between this lot, The Vamps, Lawson, The Fooo, Union J, Satin Circus, Youngblood and however many more; one notable exception there, because they’ve now ditched this and recently came out with a fair old racket.

There really is nothing new or original to be said about this song. (Actually, that sentence would work just as well without “to be said”.) It’s good to listen to, it could have come from any one of a number of bands, it’ll probably sell to a legion of fans calling themselves, I dunno, JTaRds? That’d work.

Tom: Oh dear. That’s not a good name, but I can see it sticking.

Tim: Meh. As you were.

Gravitonas feat. Army of Lovers – People Are Lonely

“Reassuring miserable folks everywhere”

Tim: Two Alexander Bard projects joining forces here, coming out with a sound that’s exactly along the lines of what you think it’d be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5O9_gMMLaQ

Tim: “People are lonely.” What a wonderful message to send out, reassuring miserable folks everywhere that actually everybody’s the same. I suppose there are two ways to play it out – very upbeat and happy, with a “we’re all like this, let’s revel in it!” or a gloomy number that just plays to the nihilist in us all. Since neither Gravitonas nor Army of Lovers typically go in for happy pop, we get this, which works just as well as any smile-on-your-face track would, right down to the Pet Shops Boys style spoken bit in the middle eight. In fact, the whole thing’s got a slight Pet Shop Boys feel to it, and it’s really very enjoyable indeed, despite it also being thoroughly miserable.

Saturday Reject: Elisa Lindström – Casanova

“That song IS Melodifestivalen.”

Tim: THIRTEEN WEEKS TO GO, THOMAS!

Tom: BRING IT ON!

Tim: For those that weren’t with us last year, this is the part of year when we scour the various national competitions to weed out the songs that are very good, but apparently just aren’t quite good enough to be sent forth to represent their nation. God only knows how this one wasn’t good enough, but it came sixth in last week’s Melodifestivalen heat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0OSxRa6DO0

Tim: Because seriously, that song IS Melodifestivalen. The lights, the confetti, the generous key change —

Tom: The wind machine. Oh, that wind machine.

Tim: — the beat-perfect choreography and most of all the aggression in it. Not an angry aggression, not an unpleasant one – instead, a performance that states, in no uncertain terms, that THIS IS POP. This is MUSICAL PERFECTION. This is UNBEATABLE.

Tom: You say “unbeatable”, but…

Tim: Sadly, Sweden disagreed.

Tom: Yep. We’ve established before that schlager doesn’t really do well at the final. Are they right to reject it as a winner? Probably. Does it deserve to be abandoned? Hell no.

Kristina Maria – Move Like A Soldier

“Then that hit, and I started paying attention again.”

Tim: This a great track, from a Canadian 24-year-old; annoyingly there’s no decent YouTube version of it (this one’s a radio rip and doesn’t finish properly, and there’s one that’s sped up by about 20%) but there’s a good version of it here, so listen to that if you want to experience it fully.

Tim: And I bet you didn’t expect that drop, did you?

Tom: Blimey, no. I’d actually got distracted by that point in the track and tabbed off to something else — and then that hit, and I started paying attention again.

Tim: It made me realise I’m actually quite a sucker for a big female vocal with an equally big two-step chorus, because I also recently found out about another excellent track from a Faroese singer, which we’ll get to in due course, but mainly there’s THIS. The underlying dance line is pretty good already, and her voice on top is, well actually it’s exactly the sort of voice that would have done well on Krista Siegfrid’s track we did a few days ago – big, bold, and easily able to complement the heavy backing.

Tom: And “Instead of letting me down, I should be feeling you up” is a brilliant lyric even if it doesn’t quite make sense.

Tim: It is. This track is wonderful, and I would love to dance to it.