“That instrumental is going to take me some time to get used to.”
Tim: New one off Alan (seriously, how is he not using a stage name?), and I’ve a feeling it might prove divisive.
Tim: See, verses are great, and so’s the vocal part of the chorus. But ooh, that instrumental is going to take me some to get used to.
Tom: Okay. Surprising thing here: I liked it. Immediately.
Tim: Huh, curious. See, for me, while we’ve seen that volume dipping style before, the issue is that it’s played here almost as a feature to hang the whole track off, and I’m really struggling to accept it.
Tom: And I didn’t even notice it! Which is because, I think, it’s not just overcompression: it’s more clever than that. The entire staccato instrumental just leaves space for the percussion, rather than being crushed under it.
Tim: The rest of it, I love – the line underneath it, verse and vocal chorus like I said – but I’m really struggling not to be put off by that part.
Tom: I do think the vocals sound a bit like the verses of Bagger 288 though.
Tim: I’d somehow never seen that before. That’s quite something.
“When that first chorus hit I let out out an ‘ooh, YES’.”
Tom: The Heavy Entertainment Show is a brilliant 5-track EP that unfortunately has 11 other tracks in the middle of it. One of the good ones, though, is this.
Tim: Oh, that’s a fabulous track – quite a bit rockier than most of his previous stuff, and when that first chorus hit I let out out an “ooh, YES”. An absolutely perfect track 3 from an album – and looking up the album details showed me who this was written by, and suddenly it makes complete sense.
Tom: It also shows how distinctive Brandon Flowers’ voice is: because this is really obviously a Killers track in hindsight. The guitar style, the switching into harmony for the big notes in the final chorus, everything.
Tim: Beyond the rock sense I hadn’t particularly thought “this sounds like The Killers” – but playing it back that’s exactly what it sounds like, and it sounds like a great Killers track at that. To be honest, if they were happy to hand this over to him I can’t wait to hear what the rest of their fifth album will sound like.
Tom: That was my thoughts exactly: this is a really, really good track — lead or second single, I’d say, so if this is the quality of material they’re giving away, let’s hope that’s not because they’ve got a “new direction” to pursue.
Tim: This is one of my favourite Robbie tracks in quite some time, and oh, it deserves to do so so well.
“It seems more like they wanted to do a Christmas song.”
Tim: It’s December, I’m waking up to sub-zero temperatures, and Christmas tracks are all out in force, so LET’S JOIN IN, but we’ll begin with a Yuletide tale of days gone by.
Tom: And I’ll provide a bit of context for our new reader: over December, Tim sends me Christmas tracks. I’m a lot more cynical about Christmas music than he is. Actually, I’m a lot more cynical about many things than he is, but here it’s just a bit more obvious.
Tim: And every year, I change to change his mind. So, waaaaaaaaay way back when, in their 1996 heyday, Backstreet Boys did a Christmas song, Christmas Time. It was typical Backstreet Boys ballad and, much like *NSync’s one, was ill-advised and generally a bit shit.
Tom: That’s 99% of Christmas music right there.
Tim: Sixteen years later, though, when they got back together they decided to have another go, with a pleasing self-referential title.
Tim: And that’s one that’s really not shit. It seems more like they wanted to do a Christmas song, rather than were just told “you need to do a Christmas song so we can release a Christmas version of this album”.
Tom: It’s not like they just took an old track and added some sleigh bells over the top. It’s actually not all that bad, is it?
Tim: I don’t know if it’s partly just because I’m judging it from a 2016 perspective – 20 years ago the first may have seemed perfectly acceptable – but this is just so much more fun. More life, more instruments, more general bangingness…
Tom: Excuse me?
Tim: You heard. Quite surprised I’ve never used that word before, to be honest. Still, though, they’re keeping in all the standard bells, chimes and twinkliness of a typical track.
Tom: And some incredibly unflattering artwork. But yes, I’ll grant you, this is at least above average as Christmas tracks go.
Tim: Ah, we’re off to a good start then. Incidentally, what first drew my attention to this was the fact that the typically reliable Ida LaFontaine covered it last year; it’s not on YouTube, tediously, but is very much worth seeking out on Spotify or Apple Music or indeed any other musical provider, whatever floats your festive boat.
Tim: So here’s a thing, every year on Swedish Idol, the week before the final the four remaining contestants perform songs they’ve written themselves (with assistance from more experienced writers, obviously). Sometimes they’re a bit awful, but more often than not they’re alright.
Tom: And at least they’ll get some money from the royalties, I guess.
Tim: Ooh, you cynic.
Tim: I mean it wouldn’t be a series winner, and you’d struggle having a major chart hit with it, but it’s not a bad tune.
Tom: That is surprisingly good, isn’t it? I mean, there are plenty of singer-songwriters out there, but to have that as part of the requirement (albeit one that could be fudged if necessary) does add a bit of credibility.
Tim: Lyrics are there, good bit of “oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” going on. Basic idea of the whole thing is to show off what sort of an artist they might be should they go on to win, and given this I wouldn’t mind hearing more from him. Tonight, I believe, is results night, so I guess we’ll see how Sweden feels then.
Tom: It surprises me a bit that Idol is still going there, oval logo and all — but then, it is Sweden.
“He’s got a new track out, with quite the novelty.”
Tim: An e-mail arrives, “I’d like to introduce you to Robin”, so clearly from a dedicated fan of the site. Nonetheless, turns out he’s got a new track out, with quite the novelty.
Tom: That could go one of two ways.
Tim: Not a bad novelty, though, because that’s some GOOD trumpet work right there.
Tom: That’s not the least euphemistic thing you’ve said in a while. You’re not wrong, though: the high bar’s set by Let Me Entertain You, and while it never gets that close, it’s certainly not to the track’s detriment.
Tim: And, in fact, a good track all over. It keeps almost threatening to verge into tropical territory, particularly at the start, but knows when to draw the line and instead goes all in on the brass. An excellent decision, particularly (and perhaps unsurprisingly) in the middle eight and beyond, with the percussion, the guitar, the trumpets, the vocals, and probably a load of other stuff I’ve missed, all mixed together nicely.
Tom: Reckon we’re on our way to a 2017 full of brass-house music?
Tim: Works well for me – not sure I’d take an album of it, but as a one-off it’s great.
Tom: New Disney movie. Therefore, new big Disney “I Want” song; this time sung by Auliʻi Cravalho. Therefore, new cover of that song by an artist signed to a Disney-owned record label. I wouldn’t normally send you this, Tim, but…
Tom: …oh, that key change. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a key change that good.
Tim: Yes, that is interesting – particularly in the way that it kind of appears from nowhere – there’s no real middle eight to speak of, just one chorus that’s normal and one that’s suddenly “oop, there we go”.
Tom: The song’s written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which explains some of the clever wordplay; he’s got a reputation for that sort of thing. And, heck, I figured it has a few (sort-of-justified) tropical sounds in there. I don’t reckon it qualifies for your Tropical Fridays, but I think it’s still worth a listen.
Tim: Given the the fact that it’s all set on a tropical island, I’d say very definitely justified. And also very definitely worth a listen.
Tom: It’s catchy. Of course it’s catchy. I’m just glad that modern Disney wasn’t just a one-hit wonder with Frozen.
Tom: Remember Frans, the one who wasn’t sorry at Eurovision this year?
Tim: Upsettingly, yes.
Tom: Well, on Sunday night I was in Gävle, Sweden, and he was the headline act at a big outdoor concert.
Tim: The one with the big goat thing?
Tom: Yes. It was an outdoor concert and it was absolutely freezing. Turns out applause sounds really different when everyone’s got gloves on.
ANYWAY. He did a new song. And it turns out he’s been doing this song for months, he just hasn’t got around to releasing it yet.
Tim: I see. Any improvement?
Tom: Now, you remember how “If I Was Sorry” was a bit too mopey for us, a bit too slow and sad? Well, brace yourself, because he has DOUBLED DOWN on the moping.
Tim: Oh, GOD – can I claim a refund for the THREE WHOLE MINUTES I spent waiting for that to get interesting? And what the hell is he doing while that guitar’s playing? Mate, you’re meant to be performing, you shouldn’t be sitting down looking bored and having a drink.
Tom: I reckon that’s pretty terrible: the sort of thing that Niall Horan would go ‘oh, yeah, that’s an album track’ to. But here’s the thing – I think I know how I could save it.
Tim: Really? Because I’d say ‘move on quickly’ would be a good first step. But do share.
Tom: Do a Phil Collins. Do an ‘In The Air Tonight’. Where that guitar noodling comes in at about 2:20? Do a massive, gated drum drop. Sell the hell out of it. Give the song a payoff. That could do it.
Tim: Yeah, that could work; it’d need to be earlier – end of the first chorus, latest, but it could help.
Tim: Somehow, it’s now over eighteen months since Måns won Eurovision, no idea where that time went. Anyway, here’s his new one, and thankfully he’s back to the big dance pop.
Tom: Blimey, it didn’t take music video directors long to, er, “take inspiration” from this drone lighting video. Looks good though. And the song’s not bad either.
Tim: BIG fan of that, I am. Starts out quite similar to Heroes, with the almost spoken vocal over a mild instrumental, then soon kicks up things up a notch leading into the chorus, and it’s a pretty good chorus.
Tom: It is: the percussion switch confused me the first couple of times, but once I understood what was going on I found it worked really, really well.
Tim: I always doubt the wisdom of calling a track something like Glorious, because you’re kind of saying “yes, it is”. Sometimes, that pays off, like when Magnus Carlsson or Andreas Johnson or Danny Saucedo. Other times, like with Matt Cardle does it…eh, not so much. This…yeah, I think this stands up. Not, alas, with those previously mentioned three, but it’s still very enjoyable, and contains everything I want from a decent pop track.
Tom: Including a great middle eight, almost better – as ever – than the regular track.
Tim: Good facial work in the video too, so WELCOME BACK MÅNS.
Tim: This came out early this summer, by two artists from Buenos Aires, and has just been sent to us; it really is quite the BANGER once it gets going, so have a listen.
Tom: Not just once it gets going! That’s a great introduction, too, with a proper build. It feels like I haven’t heard something like that in a while.
Tim: You may be might. You see, this track, in combination with yesterday’s, made me realise how much I’ve missed good piano dance music. Yes, it was far too pervasive while it was around, and by the end of 2013 it was no wonder there was a vacuum for farmhouse music to fit into, but damn, when it’s good it really is good to jump around and go nuts to. And this fits that bill very, very nicely.
Tom: Yes, you’re exactly right. It’s by-the-numbers for back then — even down to that one-beat ‘reset’ at 1:50, shortly after the inexplicable shot of someone holding their WhatsApp conversation up in the sky for everyone to see — but those are good numbers.
Tim: When that build started 80 seconds in, I got excited, and then when the drop hit I was very keen indeed. All I’m really left wondering now is whether I’ll be feeling nostalgic for pineapples in 2020.
Tim: The anonymous person who sent this is said the chorus sounded like a news theme tune…
Tim: …and weirdly it does have elements of the current BBC one – the rolling strings, the important but not overpowering drum beat, and even the melody itself isn’t far out.
Tom: As someone who normally notices things like that: I don’t hear the similarity. It reminds me more of Emeli Sande’s Heaven.
Tim: Hmm, yes, that’s not far off either. As for the rest of it: it’s solid Sigma – good dance beat, good featured vocalist, good lack of tropical vibes.
Tom: And a great video: playing with framerates and timelapse like that is always a good trick, and finding someone who can emote for that length of time in close up isn’t easy.
