Mainstream – Page 34

Christie & The Dream Beats – Wasn’t My Fault

“Almost on a par with Avril Lavigne at the very top of her game.”

Tim: Press play, and ENJOY the glorious chorus that awaits.

Tom: Chorus?! Never mind the chorus, just that first verse is brilliant. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that is a spectacular chorus, one of the best I’ve heard in a good while, but when even the first verse gets me interested, we’ve got a great song.

Tim: Christie is British, the Dream Beats are a Swedish pair, and when they get together they are, it seems, able to produce pop music that’s almost on a par with Avril Lavigne at the very top of her game.

Tom: You know how damn cynical I am about songs, Tim. Nearly everything that comes through here, I’m going “meh” at. Not this. This is amazing. (And slightly reminiscent of Coldplay’s Yellow at the end of the verses, but that’s my brain making connections, not any sort of allegation.)

Tim: The attitude, the strength of the lyrics and the sheer vibrancy of everything going on, particularly in that wonderful and enormous chorus, just sounds fantastic. And what a fantastic message! ‘Yep, I slept with him, but dammit he was hot (and he was the one looking to get laid, not me) so I should really get a pass’. I mean I’d definitely forgive that. Who wouldn’t, really?

Tom: I’m generally in favour of messages like that, too.

Tim: All in: massive chorus, great lyrics, top marks, well done.

Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo – Close

“BOOM suddenly Tom Hiddleston gets his bum out and no-one knows where to look.”

Tim: Only a few weeks since she last graced these pages, but Tove is once again back as a feat., and once again getting somewhat physical with the lead.

Tom: Remember when the Jonas Brothers wore purity rings?

Tim: Ha, yeah – who’d have thought that was just a phase, and basically just a publicity stunt? As emphasised here, really. I mean, flipping heck, we have basically a Night Manager style video, where you’re at home with your family, watching a nice spy drama and BOOM suddenly Tom Hiddleston gets his bum out and no-one knows where to look.

Tom: That sounds like it’s a personal experience there.

Tim: Yeah, I’d rather not talk about it. All quite disgraceful, really, or at least it would be if it wasn’t quite as entrancing as it is – combined with the music it almost becomes a can’t-quite-take-your-eyes-away moment. Because yes, that music – it’s gentle and there’s not a lot to get excited about, banging wise, but it’s wonderfully put together, and pleasant to listen to on top.

Tom: You say that, but I’m really not sure about that… is it a distorted steel drum patch they’re using for the main synth line there? It’s not something I’ve heard before, which is usually a good thing, but it takes some getting used to.

Tim: See, I quite like that – has the impact of a standard percussion hit but still being quite soft. So yes, I will take this, just as long as my mum’s not around.

Meghan Trainor – NO

“I’ll be honest, I physically cringed.”

Tim: Oh, do we have to?

Tom: New single, new album. And in the same way as Taylor Swift made the jump from country to pop, Meghan Trainor is trying to make the jump from her doo-wop, retro style to modern pop music. And…

Tom: …she hasn’t made it.

Tim: Hmm.

Tom: Or, rather, she’s made it into about the early 2000s, with a song that would have worked perfectly for Britney Spears but somehow just doesn’t work in her voice.

Tim: Thing is, I know it was largely derided, but I really loved Marvin Gaye, and a lot of Meghan’s previous tracks. A shift to this style: really not for me.

Tom: Brilliant introduction. Brilliant final chorus. Brilliant message and production. But… look, can I make the obvious joke?

Tim: Go on then.

Tom: The bits where she… I’m not sure it counts as rap. The bits where she talks. I’ll be honest, I physically cringed on that first spoken line. “Nah to the ah, to the no no no”. Seriously. Someone wrote that and thought “yeah, that’ll do”. It won’t do.

Tim: NO.

Ladyhawke – A Love Song

“That is very, very much what a love song sounds like.”

Tim: Wait, Ladyhawke’s back?

Tom: Our reader, Oscar, sends this in with the comment “Ladyhawke hasn’t had much presence for the last few years and is making a comeback with this track and an upcoming album.”

Tom: WHAT A CHORUS. You’re the ephemeral-electronica-pop fan out of the two of us, though, Tim: what do you think?

Tim: I think that is very, very much what a love song sounds like. You’re right – that chorus is just brilliant.

Tom: For my money, the verse doesn’t quite work well enough — but the chorus more than makes up for it.

Tim: It really does – it puts me in mind of CHVRCHES at their very very best, and in fact it’s exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for from their second album.

Tom: It’s interesting how, listening through, I can sort of predict where the melody’s going — but I don’t know whether it’ll be the vocals or synth line that’ll follow my prediction. This is interesting, complicated, and fun. I like it.

Tim: I’ve done some clicking around, and Sweet Fascination was put out at the same time – it’s not quite as great, but it’s sure as hell making me look forward to the beginning of June, when the new album’s out. BRING IT.

Years & Years feat. Tove Lo – Desire

“Here, kneel in this gymasium while a load of people fondle you.”

Tim: Desire, the first track they had that was fairly successful, and the last one they had before ‘getting big’; now, they’re revisiting it for a bit of extra cash and getting Tove on board to do some of the vocal work.

Tim: And I think that video conclusively answers the “is it desire or is it love” question posed by the lyrics, because basically everybody wants to get off with everybody else, which is fine by me as long as they don’t immediately kidnap just anybody who happens to be lying in an empty car park.

Tom: “Here, kneel in this gymasium while a load of people fondle you.” And why is he lying in an empty car park, by the way?

Tim: He was looking at his phone and has just realised what a terrible haircut he’s just had, maybe? Musically, is a re-release justified, and does Tove’s presence make redoing this one acceptable instead of getting on and writing new stuff? Hmm, maaaaybe. It’s an enjoyable track, but then so was the first one.

Tom: As ever, I can’t remember the first one, so seeing it just on its merits: this is a pretty good song. Little bit of tropical-house in there, of course, because it’s 2016 and everyone’s doing that, but yes: this is good. And Tove’s presence is justified entirely by that middle eight.

Tim: On the other hand, you do have to keep people interested in between albums (LOOKING AT YOU SOUND OF ARROWS), and I suppose it’s better than just a plain reissue. I am, ooh, about 60% in favour of this, because yes, that is what it deserves.

Stealth – Judgement Day

“So much more intensive and dramatic”

Tim: DRAMA, quite literally in this case as it first got its outing on TV show Suits, but here you go. The accompanying blurb promise “blistering rapture” and “sombre apocalyptic honesty”, and that’s always fun so have a listen.

Tom: TAKE ME TO CHURCH

Tim: Oh, yes, that’s the one it was reminding me slightly of.

Tom: No, seriously, I basically yelled that as he went into the chorus.

Tim: Hmm – well, beyond that and as far as living up to the PR goes, I suppose it is quite sombre, and rapture and apocalypse both go hand in hand with judgement, and honesty comes along in the chorus lyrics; all we’re missing is blistering, and I’ve no idea what that might mean to describe a rapture, so let’s give it full marks on that count.

Tom: Which is probably why it sounded so similar to me: religious stylings, similar vocal quality and tempo.

Tim: Ignoring all that, though – how is it as a track? Well, along with Hozier, strong James Bay stylings are what immediately leap to mind, but so much more intensive and dramatic, and to be honest, I love that. It’s loud, it’s heavy, it’s basically all the synonyms you can think of, and the vocal especially – the emotion that comes through with his voice is just spot on.

Tom: Yep. And my only criticism of the original “Take Me To Church” was that it’s overplayed and I got tired of it: this is a pretty good replacement.

Tim: Great track, as long as you’re not in the mood for happiness.

Joe & Jake – You’re Not Alone

Tim: SO, first public vote the UK’s had in six years; here’s what we came up with. Couple of notes: Joe’s the one who looks like a young Louis Tomlinson, while Jake’s got the guitar, and also one of the writers is in fact Siva off The Wanted.

Tim: And, well, hmm.

Tom: That’s… that’s not terrible? I don’t think it’s a winner, mind, it might not even be top of the table, but it might do better than last year? I guess?

Tim: It wasn’t the best one of the bunch (we’ll save that for another day), but it’s decent enough, as long as we can sort out the vocals in the second pre-chorus. I’ll say this for them: that broadcast clip doesn’t do the song any favours whatsoever – it sounded incredible when I was there watching it be performed, but that just makes the vocals sound weedy.

Tom: Ooh, good gig-drop there, well done. Then yes: it sounds a bit weedy here, that’s the right word. (It’s notable, though, that Katrina sounds positively messianic: what a voice.) But give it proper Eurovision production, and make that final chorus a bit bigger, and it might… well, it might do okay.

Tim: Those aside, there’s nothing wrong with it – vocals are on point when they’re there, it’s got a decent tune and good backing music, with my favourite part being the electric guitar that’s clearly audible throughout despite the only one on stage being Jake’s acoustic one.

Hopefully the levels can be sorted properly for May, because then we might have a chance, and to be honest we’ll need it – it’s a decent song, but it’s boyband pop, and there’s no small amount of that this year.

Frances – Borrowed Time

“All it needs is Ringo Starr quietly narrating the lyrics.”

Tim: This was introduced to me recently as “that one that sounds like Thomas the Tank Engine,” and I said “what?” and then I heard it.

Tim: And as it turns out, yes, there are slight similarities in that chorus and middle eight.

Tom: Oh, that’s a bit of a stretch, but I can see where they’re coming from. All it needs is Ringo Starr quietly narrating the lyrics and you’re there.

Tim: It’s probably safe to say, though, that much like Jess Glynne’s version of She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain (second half of the chorus, you can’t miss it, you’ll always hear it from now on, you’re welcome) —

Tom: Damn it, Tim.

Tim: — it’s most likely not an actual theft, more an unfortunate coincidence that I’ll never be able to unhear. That aside: lovely vocals, decent melody, so all perfectly enjoyable really. Nice one.

Zara Larsson – Lush Life

“Like the producer was idly playing a videogame at the same time.”

Tim: The track’s been out elsewhere since last June, but it’s only now, following her success with MNEK on Never Forget You, that it’s getting a push over here.

Tim: I’m going to be honest: right now, not much of a fan of this. On the other hand, I couldn’t stand the MNEK collaboration until a few months after first hearing it, for many of the same reasons as I don’t much like this, so maybe this’ll grow on me as well. There are, after all, a number of good things about this track – vocal’s as on point as ever, and there are moments of pleasant melodic singing where that comes through.

Tom: I’ll normally slate something with distracting, odd, bleepy-bloopy synths the background — particularly when they sound like the producer was idly playing a videogame at the same time. But for some reason, these really work for me, and I can’t explain why. Less sure about the odd squelchy, scratchy sound just left of centre, though.

Tim: The occasional post-chorus that appears is particularly catchy, although I think that might be because the rhythm’s the same as Ms. Jackson.

Tom: That’s why I know it! Yes, you’re right.

Tim: But in any case, it’s always nice to celebrate foreign success in British music, so hooray! And apparently she’s got a new single coming out in the next few days, though that’s as a feat. with Tinie Tempah, so I think it’s best if we just try to ignore that.

Catching Cooper – Firefly

Tim: Second single off this Norwegian band, with a lyric video that – I won’t deny – you might struggle to keep up with.

Tim: I don’t really know why, but that just makes me SO HAPPY. Well, actually, I do know why: it’s because it has every single feel-good boyband trope going, and then some.

Tom: I was going to say: this sounds a bit like Discount One Direction, in a way that a lot of boybands don’t: the style of harmony, the… well, everything. Everything apart from that middle eight, though. What did you pick out?

Tim: First off we’ve the ‘then some’: opening on the chorus, which is occasionally risky but so good if it pays off, as indeed it does. Throughout, we’ve got major key verses, never really calming down from that very first chorus.

Moving through, we’ve a two part middle eight, an initial part as is ever the case and a second half building up and up and up. And the part that got me from “slightly smiling face” emoji to “smiling face with open mouth” emoji —

Tom: Really?

Tim: — that soaring vocal out of the middle eight that’s so unashamed they even put it in the lyric video, twice. It’s SO textbook, and it works SO SO WELL.

Tom: You really should read The Manual. It really is the textbook.

Tim: I do want to know whether they’ve even yet realised they misspelled “emptiness”, though.