Category: Europop

Rasmus Seebach – Sirenerne

Moving around, never really settling down.

Tim: Similar in style to the first single of his we covered (recently translated into English, actually, which we should perhaps have mentioned), and I like it just as much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1LtI0IkmsU

Tim: So similar, in fact, that the opening seems almost identical.

Tom: I quite enjoyed suddenly picking up “split-second” in the lyrics.

Tim: I have no problem with that opening, though, as the whole thing is pretty good. It’s the whole moving around, never really settling down into one type of tune or another style that’s going on that really seems to work.

Tom: That’s worked before for me – and when it finally kicked in with the big synth parts, sirens and drum beats I was really rather getting into it. But then it went all downbeat again and I just couldn’t muster the energy to keep enjoying it.

Tim: There’s a few weird things which kind of get in the way – yes, I know it’s called ‘Sirens’ so there’s a sort of sense to them, but it seems a bit unnecessary – although it’s not enough to put me off it by any means, because I’m happy with this.

Tom: I’d be happy with a calm version and a remix. The switching – this time – just doesn’t seem to suit it.

Vienna – Drowning

“Better than I expected.”

Tim: This has been out a month or so now, but it only recently turned up in our inbox. Apparently, they’re a new Swedish band, this is their debut single, and there’s more information on their Facebook page (though actually there’s barely anything). I have no idea if they’re likely to be successful, but let’s have a listen anyway.

Tom: That’s… better than I expected.

Tim: And that is why we should have have a listen. It’s really rather good, isn’t it? I do love those long vocal notes in the chorus – really give the song a big, sort of, well, bigness, really.

Tom: Erudite, there, Tim.

Tim: Thank you very much.

Tom: It is a bit downbeat, though, and I think that’ll work against it; I’m not sure I’d want to listen to it all that often.

Tim: Ah, see I think that in a way that helps – having heard this, it’s hard to imagine a happy song with this sort of vocal.

Tom: Not sure about the classical guitar backing, either – I just keep wanting it to kick up a notch and it never does.

Tim: Could an album of downbeat songs work? Probably. Let’s see what they come up with next. Oh, but please let’s have a decent ending next time.

Daníel Óliver – Takin’ It Back

He is, indeed, takin’ it back.

Tom: “It’s better then Superficial,” says an anonymous Europlop reader, “different from what other artists in his category seem to be doing. He just moved to Stockholm… I hope he’ll get big in Sweden!”

Tom: The overwhelming message I got from this song? He is, indeed, takin’ it back.

Tim: It does seem that way, doesn’t it?

Tom: It’s big but not particularly lush; despite loud bass and percussion, it seems fairly simple even through the spacey middle eight.

Tim: Yeah. It’s nice, though – a short message, conveyed successfully. It doesn’t need to be big and complicated, and it certainly couldn’t have lasted much beyond the three-minute mark.

Tom: Just when you want it to come back with a massive final chorus, it… well, it doesn’t. Then, a few bars later when you expect it to… it still doesn’t. And then, when everything drops down to silence and you think this is going to be massive… it isn’t.

Musical blueballs, Tim.

Tim: Damn those blueballs.

Gabrielle – Bordet

That chorus is really rather lush.

Tim: No, not that Gabrielle, this Gabrielle. Remember her? If you don’t, don’t worry, just listen to this one.

Tom: Start your new video with your old track – that’s confidence, right there.

Tim: Well? I like this. I won’t say it’s exactly what the pop music scene is looking for, because that’s not true. It’s not far off, though – it’ll fit in nicely, not offend too many people.

Tom: That chorus is really rather lush, though, isn’t it? It goes all, well, big after a fairly quiet verse.

Tim: If it had English lyrics it’d go nicely on a daytime radio playlist, but as it is, I’m sure Norway will be perfectly happy with it.

Tom: What’s the Norwegian equivalent of Radio 1? I can see them playing this.

Tim: Two final notes: disappointed as I am to say it, it’s a lot better than much of what our X Factor seems to be coming up with at the moment and also, I’ve just noticed that YouTube reckons Jizz In My Pants is a related video. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions there.

Nexx & Matt Hewie – Put Your Hands

You know the bit I mean. Yeah, that one. I like it.

Tim: Nexx, a band best known for 2008 hit Synchronize Lips.

Tom: Or in other words, “a band not really known”.

Tim: Matt Hewie, a bloke who has replaced the female what was in that group.

Tom: But not well enough to just be assimilated into the credits with the main group, it seems.

Tim: Put Your Hands, their new song.

Tim: Music here is good – not sure how to describe it, but it’s the sort of back and forth hook bit that comes after the chorus. You know the bit I mean. Yeah, that one. I like it.

Tom: It sounds a bit Aqua-ish, actually; similar tone to the voice and, yes, that back-and-forth bit.

Tim: Lyrics are also fun – I’m loving the juxtaposition of ‘I want you to fall in love with me’ and ‘I want to do you baby night and day’. That last bit reminds me of a whiteboard we’ve got a work; it’s supposed to be some sort of inspirational thing and it says ‘I did something amazing today’. Every time I walk past it I wish I had the guts to get out a marker and change ‘something’ to ‘someone’, just FOR THE LOLZ.

Tom: Do it. Or, better yet, carefully alter a copy of it in Photoshop, reprint it, and see how long it takes for anyone to notice.

Kevin Borg – Unstoppable

This song seems really familiar.

Tim: BREAST CANCER!

Tom: Gah! What?

Tim: Pink trousers, you see.

Tom: Charity single. Got it.

Tim: This is nice – uplifting, the inspirational kind of charity single rather than the doom and gloom one.

Tom: There are two very different approaches to charity singles: the sad ballad or the uplifting, enthusiastic one. Or, of course, you could put zombies in your music video, but then that’s just McFly.

Tim: The thing is – this song seems really familiar. It’s not that it reminds me of a different song – I just have this feeling I’ve heard it before.

Tom: Yep. It’s as if someone mashed a dozen vaguely uplifting records together.

Tim: Given that it’s an original song, there’s one conclusion – this is entirely generic. Which, let’s be honest, it is, but it’s not a great thing, really, is it?

Michael Rune feat. Nadia Gattis – Min Indre Stemme

Dancing! Saxophones! LET’S GO!

Tim: Dancing! Saxophones! People moving between postcards like they’re paingtings at Hogwarts! LET’S GO!

Tom: A proper saxophone bit! I’ve said it before – the overblown 80s sax solo is coming back.

Tim: Since I don’t have much to say about this, let’s use it to provide a follow-up to the saxophone discussion that we had regarding The Edge of Glory. Well, that you had while I kept butting in with pointless interruptions.

Tom: That’s fair enough – other than the sax part and the rather fancy effects in the video, Min Indre Stemme is a bit dull.

Tim: I basically just want to mention Lady Gaga’s ‘Hair’, which is an absolutely brilliant track and also features saxophones (and, in fact, the same saxophonist who performed of The Edge of Glory).

Tom: Rest in peace, Clarence Clemons.

Tim: Somewhat convoluted history – basically, it was going to be released as a promo single for the Born This Way album, but Edge of Glory got all the attention and this was pretty much entirely sidelined, very unfortunately.

Tom: Not entirely – there was this performance on the Paul O’Grady Show, which is notable for being a beautiful acoustic piano performance and, well, the lack of hair.

Tim: Well, regardless of that, I propose that (in a shocking and controversial move) we put a SECOND VIDEO in this post.

Tim: Totes amazeballs, no?

Tom: I beg your pardon?

Tim: You heard.

Marit Larsen – Coming Home

Almost a Norwegian Taylor Swift, really.

Tim: Almost a Norwegian Taylor Swift, really. Was there a Norwegian playwright whose work she could base a song on?

Tom: That’s a fairly close vocal match – there’s that country and western twang to it.

Tim: It’s about as uninteresting as Ms Swift, really, but it’s a gentle pop ballad-y type thing that’s nice if you’re into that sort of thing, which I sometimes am.

Tom: It does have the big soaring final chorus, although I reckon that’s still a chorus too late; you could lose one of the repetitions and I don’t think anyone would really mind.

Tim: Um, yeah. That’s about all I have to say on the matter.

Tom: Really? Are you distracted or something?

Tim: Well, it probably doesn’t help that right now I’m not really in a pop ballad-y type mood, as I’m still excited with my new iPhone. Yes, I’m using this as an opportunity to boast and go on about it. Problem?

Tom: With you? Always.

Tim: Sorry, what did you say?

Lise Karlsnes – Deepest Blue

Just sort of all over the place

Tim: We described yesterday’s track as spacey; this is the Hubble telescope to yesterday’s amateur astronomer’s back yard.

Tom: Ooh, get you and your analogies.

Tom: That’s recorded off the radio! It’s like we’re all 90s and lo-fi again.

Tim: Ah, the olden days. Anyway, this is isn’t it?

Tom: It is, and I’m not sure I like it. Is she singing on any known scale during the verses? I’m not sure what those notes are.

Tim: Items of note:

It starts out a bit dreary, but then the chorus is instantly my favourite bit, as I suppose is kind of the point, and after it the verses sort of fade into oh-hurry-up-and-get-out-of-the-way territory.

Tom: Yes – I was ready to dismiss this entirely during the verses, but that chorus – with the full-on instrumentation – more or less makes up for it.

Tom: The bit that starts at two minutes reminds me of the Tron Legacy soundtrack, which is an excellent thing because that’s a fantastic soundtrack.

The ending is a bit sudden for my liking – yes, there’s technically the bit that says ‘here the end of it’ so it’s not totally unexpected, but that’s so disjointed from the rest of the song it might as well not be there.

Tom: On a second listen, it seemed to fit rather well. It’s an interesting one, this song; I do wish the verses were more like the chorus — but if they were, would it all be a bit too much?

Melanie Wehbe – Irrestible

I could see this becoming a club regular #timjeffriesisaprat

Tim: We’re very used to X Factor, etc. contestants not winning but releasing tracks, for better (One Direction, Anna Abreu, Danny Saucedo) or very much worse (Cher Lloyd, Jedward, Olly Murs), and while they might not win, they do generally get to at least the closing stages – top five, or whatever. This one, on the other hand, got kicked out of the Swedish version only a couple of weeks back without even reaching the top 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RDXN6dfdcQ

Tom: That hairdryer in the opening scenes? Blatantly not actually running, or even needed. There’s a bit of pedantry for you.

Tim: Now, quite how this got put together in under a week – from getting kicked out to properly produced YouTube video – is beyond me, especially since the cynical ‘this must have been pre-plotted’ part of my brain is less inclined to get involved when Simon Cowell’s not around.

Tom: It used to be that all chart-eligible singles had to be cleared through the charts company at least four weeks in advance, although I’m not sure if that’s the case any more.

Tim: Really? Huh. Anyway, this song’s here, and it’s not all bad, is it?

Tom: Surprisingly, it’s not all bad. I could see this becoming a club regular, given enough airplay.

Tim: If I heard this on the radio, I would think ooh, it’s a somewhat average track by Katy Perry*, and for me it’s pretty much that – average. Not bad, although I have an issue with the “post a tweet” line for some reason – just really sticks out a bit, and seems to be there just to say LOOK AT ME, I KNOW WHAT’S COOL.

* Who, pop fact fans, is currently hoping to beat Michael Jackson’s record of five number one singles off the same album, with her recent release The One That Got Away.

Tom: I have a feeling it’s going to date a lot more quickly than, say, Return to Sender.

Tim: A bit like (here’s me going off on one) the massively irritating thing TV shows have started doing by putting a hashtag in the corner of the screen just so we know we’re meant to talk about it. For example, do Fox actually think we need to be told that we should use #fringe to discuss Fringe, or #terranova for Terra Nova? Seriously? BLOODY HELL. Way to patronise your viewers, guys.

Tom: Incidentally, readers, you should use the hashtag #timjeffriesisaprat to discuss this particular post.

Tim: What, where did that come from? Bit harsh, isn’t it?

Tom: Well, #timjeffriesgoesoffonone didn’t seem pithy enough.

Tim: Oh, fine. Anyway, er, what was I saying before I got distracted/abused? Oh, yeah, the song – it’s alright, I suppose, but nothing special. Next please.