Aiden Grimshaw – Is This Love

X Factor 2010 – the series that just keeps spewing.

Tim: X Factor 2010 – the series that just keeps spewing.

Tim: You’ve probably lost count by now (I know I had), but a visit to Wikipedia told me that Aiden is the seventh of the sixteen finalists to release solo material.

Tom: Is that all? I’d have expected all of them to at least have tried it.

Tim: No, but I’m fairly sure that’s a record by quite some margin. And if it’s any consolation, they have all tried YOUR MUM. (OH YES – IT’S STILL ON.)

Tom: Damn. We may only have two regular readers, Tim, but at least we rewards them with running jokes.

Tim: Anyway, Aiden was originally my favourite, because for some reason he was the only one who could put proper emotion and feelings into a downbeat song, with some proper SERIOUSFACE going on.* And he’s not really lost that particular talent – he’s looking properly ‘with his thoughts’ in that photo.

Moving on to the music, I like it a lot, mainly for the chorus, because it’s interesting, it’s vibrant and more importantly there is A LOT HAPPENING. The starting build-up, then the falsetto voice and then the backing that all kicks off like nobody’s business – it’s brilliant.

* I got quite annoyed when he got kicked off, as it happens.

Tom: Drum and bass almost seems out-of-date now, what with its younger sibling dubstep coming along to make some noise. It’s an odd choice to pick as a pop single backing, but it works very well.

Tim: Unfortunately, it’s let down by the verses, which just don’t compare at all. That second verse in particular, short as it is, just seems dull and I’m waiting for the next chorus to come along. It’s also a bit weird the way it drifts away after what ought to be the middle eight, but that’s allowed, I suppose, but it’s the verses that turn me from loving it to just liking it.

Tom: I think it works well as a whole: aside from that ending. Maybe I’m just too traditional, but one final BIG CHORUS would have worked for me.

Tim: Well, whatever niggles we may have, there’s a lot of potential there, so let’s hope the next one’s even better, yes?

The Proclaimers – Spinning Around in the Air

Is it a novelty song?

Tom: Wait, the Proclaimers? Those Proclaimers? Yes. Lead single off their ninth album. The trouble is, no matter whatever they try, after 500 Miles they’re always going to get filed under “novelty song”. And this is…

Tom: …yep, it’s a novelty song.

Tim: You sure about that? They’ll always be ‘those guys that did 500 miles’, but this is a perfectly competent song, no?

Tom: It’s in waltz time. It includes the lyric “let me donate something to a kids’ charity… of your choice”. Sorry, Proclaimers. But with those lyrics, those accents, and that instrumentation… no matter what you’re aiming for, and what your fans think, the rest of the public is going to go – in order – “wait, they’re still going?” and “that’s a novelty song” and “they must be hard up”.

Tim: So you reckon it’s down to public opinion whether a song is a novelty or not?

Tom: Hm. I had to think about that, but yes I do. And songs can move into that category as well, despite being serious when they were released.

Tim: Because I’d disagree – it might get (unfairly) filed under ‘cheese’ by a lot of people, but I think novelty on its own is— actually, I think we’re just getting into semantics here.

Tom: Okay, here’s a definition for you: “for the general public, it’s only going to get played at weddings and kids’ parties”. I’d be surprised if this falls outside that definition.

Tim: It’s probably not what most people would call ‘decent music’ (and by most people I mean the sort of people that generally disagree with us about music), but that doesn’t make it novelty. And now that’s a word that’s started to lose all meaning.

Awake – Lights On

I could listen to that melody for quite some time without complaining.

Tim: So, here’s a debut single from a couple of Swedish folk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dSO9NQ1YDFo

Tim: This one’s interesting, as far as I’m concerned. It starts of slow, a vocal builds up nicely, and then at 1:14 the beat drops in and it all gets going nicely. Very nicely, in fact, and I could listen to that melody for quite some time without complaining.

Tom: Ooh, that has a Proper Drop. Late enough to be needed, early enough not to get boring.

Tim: Except then, a minute later, it all gets going again with a much more emphasised vocal and it goes from ‘nicely’ to ‘very well indeed’, I think.

Tom: Agreed. I don’t think we’ve ever had a track on here that even tries to pull that off, let alone do it successfully. It does mean there’s no real middle-eight, but I can live with that.

Tim: Not sure what the ending’s all about, though, but if it happens to be an extract from their next track (this one’s out next month, by the way) then I’m looking forward to that as well.

Saturday Reject: Reidun Sæther – High On Love

LOOK AT THIS THIS IS WHEN YOU GET EXCITED YOU MUST EXPLODE WITH JOY

Tim: You’ve been to Norway, Tom – tell me, do they have a problem recognising key changes?

Tom: Not in my experience, but then my one time in a late-night club there mostly included regular US and British pop music, sadly.

Tim: Oh, shame. Well, anyway, we all know that excessive stage effects at the key change are nothing new in Eurovision (I love that one so much, I really do), but the multitude of massive spark fountains we have here seems to be saying “LOOK AT THIS THIS IS WHEN YOU GET EXCITED YOU MUST EXPLODE WITH JOY”. In fairness, it works—

Tom: Do you need a moment to clean up?

Tim: No, I pretty much contained myself—and adds even more to what is already a beauty of a key change.

Tom: It’s telegraphed way in advance, it’s got the proper ramp-up… but is it me, or does she miss that first note? That’s the trouble with carrying a key change just on voice.

Tim: Hmm – not quite sure. Having spent five minutes comparing this and the studio version, I can confidently state that there is a *very slight* difference – whether that counts as missing it entirely would be a judgment call. Still, it’s a cracking tune, and let’s be honest – it has everything a good piece of Eurovision pop should have, including lots of lengthy vocal howling (can’t think of a better word right now), a decent beat throughout, the aforementioned key change and spark fountain and fantastic use of the wind machine. I think in a general year, it could have worked, though to be honest I wouldn’t want to go head to head with Russia’s grannies with this.

Tom: I honestly think the grannies could take it.

Blim – Scream

It’s time for some regular modern pop, and within five seconds you’ll be right back home.

Tim: After Monday’s schlager throwback and yesterday’s dreamy thing, do you think it’s time for some regular modern pop? Because I do, and within five seconds of this starting you’ll be right back home.

Tim: Quick intro: a duo comprising Rebecca Rosier (British) and Denmark Davis (um, Swedish). It’s been around a month or so, but annoyingly I kept forgetting about it until it was released last week. I think it’s pretty good – what do you think?

Tom: This isn’t dubstep – not by a long way – but it’s another sign of the genre’s steady encroachment into the mainstream. That slightly-late drop that appears at 0:39 is straight from the dubstep playbook; the beat in the background of the chorus is only really kicking in half as often as it “should” in a pop song.

Tim: Hmm – I’d just heard that as a big drumbeat, but you’re right. Subtle, and I actually like it a lot.

Tom: It’s how it always goes: “what’s this noise?” “actually, that track’s okay”, “oh wow, it’s everywhere”. The next step, “that’s horribly played out”, is due in a few months’ time. Also: this track’s a rare example of the middle eight being carried just by the vocal: there’s no great instrumental difference between it and the final chorus. It’s something that works very well – as, indeed, does the whole song. It’s not a BIG ANTHEM CHOON that’s going to knock all the clubs out this summer – but it’s not meant to be. It’s a decent modern pop song, and I like it.

Tim: Excellent – we’re in agreement.

Little Jinder – Parked My Heart

I was trying to stop myself falling asleep.

Tim: The problem with SoundCloud is that occasionally the waveforms it presents bear little to no resemblance to the actual song.

Tom: That is an obscure complaint to make.

Tim: Take this, for example.

Tom: That looks like “long intro, BOOM, quiet bit, key change.” I’m guessing it’s not?

Tim: Well, let’s have a listen.

Tim: Up to about a minute in, I was trying to stop myself falling asleep, with the assumption that at that point, a big beat was going to drop and the song wouldn’t be quite so dull. Obviously it didn’t, and in fact carried on pretty much exactly the same. But never mind, I thought, because something’s bound to happen at two minutes, surely. It must do, no? Er, no. Actually, no. It is just this throughout.

Tom: Disappointing.

Tim: BUT, I then realised that while I’d been focussing on what I assumed the song would become, I’d entirely missed out on what the song actually was, which is a rather mellow piece of… actually I have no idea how to place this, genre-ifically.

Tom: Okay, first of all, that’s not a word.

Tim: Erm, it totes is, actually.

Tom: I actually let out a noise something akin to “gnnnnnnnnng” when I read that. Just so you know. And secondly: well, yeah, you’re right. It’s not the type of music we normally cover, and to be honest it’s not to my taste. It’s… pleasant enough, I suppose?

Tim: Well, it’s nice. It’s gentle, it’s charming and if I were feeling poetical and a bit over the top I might even say beautiful, and it’s a light soundtrack to a summery morning lying in a park. Next to her heart, presumably.

Tom: That just makes me wonder where the rest of her is.

Wizex – Simsalabim

Dansband. As schlager is it comes.

Tim: Instrumentally, this is dansband. In every other respect possible, though, this is as schlager is it comes.

Tom: I’m probably going to like this, then.

Tim: I mean just listen to it – it’s ridiculous. From the time it goes quiet in preparation for the closing bit, you’re just waiting for the key change, because you know without a shadow of a doubt that it’ll be there.

Tom: It’s wonderful. That second key change actually made me wince. Give it an electronic drum kit and up the tempo a bit, and you’ve got yourself a Swedish Eurovision entry – but I think that’d take away from it.

Tim: To be honest, it’d probably be easy to criticise this song—clichés all over the place, repetitive and familiar chord structures, and I’d be willing to bet that the lyrics don’t comprise a philosophical masterpiece—but dammit, I just can’t. Because, for all those reasons, it’s great.

Saturday Reject: 4Post – Навстречу небу

I can’t speak a word of Russian, but that didn’t stop me singing along.

Tim: Before you ask – “Before The Sky”.

Tom: Ah, thanks.

Tim: The rest of the lyrics? Not a clue, but the Russians clearly thought they weren’t too bad, as this came sixth out of a full 25. Yes, twenty five.

Tom: Are you sure this is being played at the right speed? It sounds like it’s a bit too low, a bit too minor-key, and much too slow.

Tim: A WEBSITE SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE: paste in a YouTube link, play it at double speed. Until then, yes it’s right, and I think it sound quite good.

Tom: In the interests of research, I pulled a copy of it down to my own laptop and sped it up to 130%. It does improve quite a bit.

Tim: Huh. Fair enough. Anyway, I can’t speak a word of Russian, but somehow that didn’t stop me singing along when that chorus came round for a second time. I don’t know the words, I don’t know what they mean, but after hearing them just once I know the syllables and that’s enough for me.

Tom: Culturally aware as ever.

Tim: Of course.

Tom: I just can’t see why you’re getting excited about it though; it’s a bit of a dirge with a decent beat behind it. The after-key-change chorus sounds vaguely tolerable, but it should have started like that.

Tim: I’ll accept that the pre-chorus bit could do with livening up a bit, but ‘dirge’ is doing a bit of a disservice to the verses and middle eight – speaking of which, why does my brain finding middle eight rapping acceptable when it’s in Russian? You are welcome to try to answer that, as I have no idea. And a second question: why didn’t this qualif—STOP. You’ve already started typing a theory or several, but you’re wasting time and energy. I can tell you right now: you’re wrong.

Tom: About your liking of Russian rap, or the lack of qualifications?

Tim: The latter. Whatever you think it should or shouldn’t be or have in order to have qualified, you’re wrong. How do I know this? Because I’ve seen what those Russians actually voted for. And believe me, it’s not what you reckon this ought to be.

But until then, everybody join in: na-FYEERSHOO!!

Tom: If we did have any Russian readers, we don’t any more.

Saturday Reject: Jesper Nohrstedt – Take Our Hearts

Let’s ignore the sentimental claptrap.

Tim: Remember how I said most of the good Danish ones have had their performance videos pulled from YouTube? Well, that’s still the case but this one that came a close second has a proper music video, so we can watch that.

Tom: That is quite the promising piano intro there.

Tim: The old man looking at pictures and stuff in the video strikes me as sentimental claptrap*, so let’s ignore that and move onto the song.

* Call me soulless, but I seem to be one of the few people who didn’t get tearful during the beginning of Up.

Tom: Harsh, but not entirely unjustified. It is a rather good song, though.

Tim: Jesper came third in Danish X Factor 2010, and my word he’s got a decent voice. The verses here are soulful and meaningful, but the song dutifully livens up for the choruses. I have a bit of an issue with the ending, although that’s partly just my ‘there MUST be a clearly defined middle eight and closing section in EVERY song’ mentality, as it does draw the song to a close effectively.

Tom: Remember a while back, when I was complaining about piano-pop getting a bit boring? This is the kind of track I was wanting to hear. You’ve got a well-defined second melody line coming from the piano, but the main melody is entirely different and being carried by someone with a really rather good voice.

Tim: I have no idea what it looked like being performed, but I’m guessing there were hearts and things all over the place—

Tom: “Things”?

Tim: Yes, things. Quiet at the back, please.

Tom: Yes, miss.

Tim: And these hearts and things would have got the mums’ vote easily enough along with him looking like a little darling (17, if you’re wondering). Then there’s the old folks’ vote with the sentimentality of it all, the young girls’ vote with the looks – he’s got the whole market covered, really and I’m a bit surprised he came last out of the text voting, but there you go. That’s Eurovision.

Beatrice Eli – The Conqueror

“Both big and small and dark and sweet at the same time.”

Tim: Debut single from a Swedish singer, who has described it as an “off-centred synthballad” that is “both big and small and dark and sweet at the same time”.

Tom: What?

Tim: Yeah – sounds like a load of pretentious rubbish to me, but let’s have a listen anyway.

Tim: Hmm. I think that could be one of the hardest tracks to write about I’ve come across, actually.

Tom: Weirdly, I can see what those descriptions mean, now. It is a synth-ballad, it is indeed off-centre, and… well, it fits all that. I just can’t decide if it’s any good.

Tim: For a start, it seems instantly forgettable. That’s kind of a bad thing, but I think it’s due to the way the song fluctuates so much between various moods – an utterly downbeat verse, big charming chorus instrumentation but still with the same negative vocals, then added the sort of middle eight bit where the instruments more than cancel out the vocals and it all sort of merges together in a bit of a gloop, really.

Tom: I think I like it. It’s deep, and it’s moody. It’s the kind of music that gets you fired up, rather than dancing or happy. There’s not enough of that.

Tim: It was alright – I’d happily listen to it again, I know that much, but I don’t really know quite why, or what it is I liked about it.