Author: Tim

Lord Est feat. Mikael Gabriel – Vuosi Vaihtuu

That’s a cracking instrumental.

Tom: “This is the New Years breaking hit here in Finland!” enthuses an anonymous reader. “Everytime its in radio volume goes up!”

Tom: Hmm. That’s a cracking instrumental that deserves much better vocals.

Tim: Something like that. Certainly is a cracking instrumental.

Tom: “Year of Change” is the title, and while translating the lyrics doesn’t help all that much, it seems to be a generally uplifting song about how the future’s going to be bright. Perfect for the New Year, then. It’s a shame that the lyrics just sound like they’re being phoned in. Put some enthusiasm in, for crying out loud!

Tim: I’m not sure it’s the enthusiasm – I think it’s just that the general tone of the voice doesn’t suit the feeling of the song. The chorus, for example, seems almost a bit military, really. Also, I’m about to say something I don’t think I ever thought I’d say: they should do more with that rapper, because his parts of the verse work better than the rest.

On the other hand, it could be a perfectly appropriate vocal for the song, but we just don’t know as we have next to no knowledge of the Finnish language whatsoever.

Tom: That’s not true. I lived in Helsinki for three months once, and as a result I know “thank you” and at least one swear word. Anyway, translate this, get someone a bit more upbeat on vocal duties, and I reckon this could actually work over here.

Tim: There, I think you’re definitely right.

Saturday Flashback: Magnus Carlsson & Alcazar – Happy, Happy Year For Us All

Like Peter Andre with sleigh bells.

Tim: Last of the festive ones and ten years old now, here’s to 2012!

Tom: Dodgy grammar in the title, and a tune that sounds like Peter Andre with sleigh bells. This doesn’t bode well.

Tim: Oh come on. It’s a lot more in the vein of tradition pop than previous weeks have been, but this still has a sizeable number of fanfares and jingly things to convey the festive spirit, as if the lyrics weren’t enough.

Tom: Despite my initial skepticism, the chorus did win me over a bit. It’s by the numbers, of course, but it’s not going to get me off the dancefloor at an office Christmas party. If I worked at an office.

Tim: Alcazar are, as we should all know, also noted for their considerable success with a cover of Last Christmas, but this has the benefit of being both original and, unusually, more about the new year than Christmas itself. It’s a very upbeat message, and who could really dislike it? Well, except for that idiot at my work who insists that if it’s not from the 80s it’s rubbish.

Tom: And a happy new year to you too, Tim.

SOJO – I Remember

It’s hard to shake off a massive feeling of resemblance

Tim: There’s not a saxophone in sight, but it’s hard to shake off a massive feeling of resemblance to Mr Saxobeat in this track from July.

Tom: Well, that’s because they’re basically the same track.

Tim: Yes – it’s such a massive feeling, in fact, that this could almost be accused of ripping it off entirely.

Tom: It’s the Jimmy Hart Version: they’ve gone “ooh, that was popular, let’s make something similar but make sure we don’t get sued”.

Tim: However, it does lack a couple of things Mr Saxobeat had, such as the male moaning about a minute in, which I always found a bit weird, and the saxophone, which to be honest I’ve been getting a bit bored of.

Tom: Really? I’m not sure it’s possible to get bored of the saxophOH WAIT YES IT IS.

Tim: Things it adds include whistling, which for some reason I seem to have started enjoying recently, like here, and her voice, which I prefer to Alexandra Stan’s, especially over the almost a capella bits. So basically, it’s like of the biggest tracks of the entire year, but a little bit better. That’s good, right?

Tom: Pity it didn’t get there a little earlier.

Stefan Raab feat. Lena Meyer – Satellite

This is how you open a Eurovision Song Contest.

Tom: Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you open a Eurovision Song Contest. And get a hit single out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXNMb5DRgN8

Tom: It’s worth mentioning that Stefan Raab is also the only Eurovision host who could reliably pull this off, too. It’s hard to describe him, because there’s no British equivalent: imagine a young Bruce Forsyth crossed with Simon Cowell and you’re vaguely in the right area.

Tim: That’s quite a crossing.

Tom: It is, but it fits: he’s their Cowell-equivalent on talent shows, he wrote the now-legendary “Guildo hat euch lieb” – yes, that one – and yet he’s still popular enough to star in a 4-5 hour light entertainment special once or twice a year.

Anyway: It’s hard for me to overstate how much I disliked ‘Satellite’, Lena’s 2010 Eurovision-winner.

Tim: As a song in general, or as a Eurovision winner? Because although I never liked it that much, I didn’t think it was too bad.

Tom: Both, really. Her bizarre pronunciation, the Ting Tings-like backing, the way the melody just kept disappearing into nothing.

Tim: All fair points, I suppose.

Tom: But as a big band number, it’s perfect, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better Eurovision opener.

Tim: I think on that note, you could be right.

Tove Styrke – Call My Name

The mud woman in the video scared me a bit.

Tim: I can’t remember why we didn’t feature this – I think it might have been because the mud woman in the video scared me a bit. Anyway, it has since become clear that it is in fact one of this year’s better songs, so let’s put that aside and have a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbBrGicA8tA

Tim: First off, about that video: I haven’t a clue what’s going on, so I’ll leave it, although I will say that on occasion they seem to be doing that weird transition where they change the background but keep her face by sort of moving it around a bit; here, they’ve failed, but for a display of it looking excellent, check out C’est La Vie.

Tom: “Right, we’ve got enough budget for about two special effects shots. After that, it’s just going to be you on a bike.”

Tim: As for this song, well, like I said, one of this year’s better songs. The middle eight in particular, I do love, as I do the very last chorus with that same type of singing. On an energetic level, the verses aren’t really anywhere near the choruses, but they still don’t seem like filler, which I reckon would have been a challenge. And as for that chorus, well, it’s great, isn’t it?

Tom: It really is. Although ever since Aviici’s Levels came out, I keep wanting to hear “sometimes, I get a good feeling” after each chorus “whoa”.

Tim: It sounds like Robyn would be when she’s at her very best, and we’re left with a track you can dance to or listen to sitting down, and get an equal amount of pleasure doing either.

Tom: Which is pretty much exactly what we try to find.

The Strokes – Under Cover of Darkness

This sounds like the Strokes. It also sounds really good.

Tim: Well, this is nearly it for this year, but annoyingly there are some songs we never got round to writing about. I propose we spend this last week looking back at the best five tracks of what we missed. Sound good? Good. You go first.

Tom: “Last night, she said, oh baby don’t feel so down…”

This sounds like the Strokes. It also sounds really good.

Tim: Certainly does.

Tom: Okay, so it wasn’t quite as instantly memorable as some of the stuff of their past albums, but it’s a heck of a decent single.

They kept their old sound, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s exactly what I’d want a Strokes track to be: it makes me bob my head, it leaves me feeling vaguely happy, and it’s still got a drummer who’s addicted to cymbals.

Tim: Always fun. I like this too – a good track that just keeps going and going at a good heavy rate. Typical stuff, really.

Tom: Oh, and it stops really abruptl

Mylène Farmer – Du Temps

“Remember Lonely Lisa? It’s like that.”

Tom: “She’s just released her second best-of album,” says reader Alex, “and this is the single from it. Remember Lonely Lisa? It’s like that.”

And that’s the way it is.

Tom: This has some proper old-school Eurodance-type backing to it, which makes me like it immediately.

Tim: It really does, doesn’t it?

Tom: And just as it seems to be going on a bit too long, we get a proper middle eight, followed by what Alex describes as “a KEY CHANGE MOMENT”. And what a key change moment it is.

Tim: Ooh, that’s great. Man, why doesn’t every dance track do that? Because it doesn’t sound forced, or just like it’s there to liven up a tired tune – it actually really works.

Tom: In summary: yes.

Tim: Yes. But no to that weird image just after two minutes in, because that’s just disturbing.

Tom: Fan videos: you never know what you’re going to get.

SOJO – Jumping Jam

Imagine yourself a nice pot of strawberry jam.

Tim: Imagine yourself a nice pot of strawberry jam. It’s sitting there on the table, but then suddenly it starts moving.

Tom: What?

Tim: This track plays, and the motion becomes vibrant – the jar’s all over the place. Lights flash, smoke machines get going, lasers all over the place, you know the type. Got that? Good, because this song doesn’t have a video yet but that is totally what it ought to be like.

Tom: Well, with an introduction like that, I’m expecting great things.

Tom: …oh.

Tim: Yeah – if it did have that video, this song might be a bit more interesting. Actually, that sentence implies I don’t really like this, but I do, and did from the very first notes. The sudden speed-talking in the chorus comes as a surprise after the gentle crooning of the verses, and not a bad one at all.

Tom: It’s not bad, I’ll grant you, but it’s hardly going to set the dancefloor on fire.

Tim: Occasionally I get the feeling it’s going on a bit too long, but it generally comes back and sorts itself out, even if it is just with that chorus, which seems to carry a message of ‘hurry up, come along, don’t dawdle, what are you doing back there, if you don’t hurry up you’ll be sent to bed without any tea.’ And you know what? If I’d had this fifteen years ago, I might not have been so hungry on family trips to the Lake District.

Tom: I feel like I should be applauding you in some kind of group-therapy session now.

Beatrice Eli – The Conqueror

Sounds like it’s going to go somewhere.

Tim: Interesting, this one.

Tom: I’m not sure about ‘interesting’, really. When it kicks in, the chorus sounds like it’s going to go somewhere and then… it doesn’t.

Tim: To be honest, I don’t really know what to say about this. I think it’s great–well, pretty good, at least–but I’m not sure how to justify that. Do I need to?

Tom: Well, yes, you do really. Because to me, it’s a lovely voice wasted on a bit of a downbeat, dull tune.

Tim: I mean, the voice is a bit weird, the music’s nothing huge, and yet it fits together nicely. Umm, ethereal? Is that the right word? Sort of, I suppose. OH, I DON’T KNOW. But I like this.

Andremo feat. Coco – Music Is Turning Me On

I started playing this, then got bored

Tim: Coco is formerly of Swedish group Love Generation; Andremo is, erm, not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCKijihn5Pw

Tim: I started playing this, then got bored with it and moved on to doing other stuff.

Tom: You gave it two minutes? Apart from that chorus, it’s all a bit dull.

Tim: No, I got bored after twenty seconds. Two minutes later, though, I thought ooh, this is alright actually. Then I listened to it again and realised I got bored by the awful verse but enjoyed the sung chorus and music.

Tom: It sounds like something that should turn up in the middle of a Clubland compilation CD – you know, the kind of track that’s cheap to license and fills up the running time.

Tim: Something like that, yeah. So OVERALL: okay in the background, perfectly serviceable as a dance tune, but as I see it, nothing particularly great. Ooh, actually, I know what to say to finish this! It’s brilliant!

Tom: Uh-oh.

Tim: I’m going to say this: it certainly (really, it’s clever) wouldn’t TURN ME ON!!! (You see? HILARIOUS.)

Tom: Tim Jeffries, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week.