Take That – These Days

“Once it had finished, I couldn’t remember it at all.”

Tom: And then there were three.

Tom: So Decent Solo Career and Comedy Surname have left, which leaves Tax Dodger and The Other Two.

Tim: Which is a perfectly good band name in its own right – don’t know why they’re sticking with this.

Tom: And the result is surprisingly good, I reckon.

I found myself nodding along to this: it’s a surprising cross between original 90s Take That and modern production, and it sounds really rather good. There’s enough similar styles in there that it’s still absolutely recognisable as a Take That song.

Tim: It is that, and yeah, it’s decent enough – nothing amazingly special, admittedly, but it’s good enough to be an album lead track, even after some time away. Get people back in the mood for it.

Tom: The trouble is… once it had finished, I couldn’t remember it at all.

Tim: Really? Because I’ve got the “gonna live for” fairly stuck in my head.

Tom: There’s no massive singalong hook in there: just a ‘these days’ that, out of the context of the song, actually sounds a bit downbeat and melancholy. Go on, try singing it on your own, a capella. It’s like Eeyore decided to do a vocal line.

Tim: Maybe, although that then seems plain suicidal if they’re what you’re living for.

Tom: And once I noticed that, the whole song fell apart for me. I still love that intro — it’s the best bit of the song — but the rest of it just seems to have something missing. Two things missing, perhaps.

Oh Land – Head Up High

“It took a while to get going, but yes.”

Tim: To Denmark, for some electropop!

Tim: And happy electropop, and to be honest I don’t have much to say about it because really I just want to listen to it – that chorus, repetitive as it may be, is very chirpy indeed.

Tom: It took a while to get going, but yes. Oddly, I found that offbeat middle-eight to be the best part of the whole thing, but I still enjoyed it.

Tim: Is she singing “higher”? Well, yes, but also “HIYA!” in a nice fun greeting, with a “come join in with me having fun” sense to it.

Tom: Or in the stereotypical sense of delivering a vicious karate chop to someone’s neck.

Tim: Which could also be fun, I suppose. And I want to have fun with someone who’s all about keeping their head held high, whatever may happen, because that’s the best way to live life. And it really is, like this is somewhat the best way to make music: happy electropop. LOVE IT.

Avicii – The Days

“Can you tell me: who’s singing this?”

Tom: Without looking up anything about this song, or looking at the comments, can you tell me: who’s singing this?

Tim: And that is…Robbie Williams?

Tom: And he’s not even credited! I mean, officially he is, but not on the YouTube video or in most of the track listings. I wonder what financial arrangement made that possible?

Tim: I’m guessing something like ALL OF THE MONIES.

Tom: Indeed, this is such a lovely Robbie 90s jangly-pop song during the first parts, that I sort of forgot this was Avicii. There’s a heck of a difference between that first verse and the final, instrumental outro.

Tim: I think there’s that, and also that Avicii has in recent tracks been getting gradually less Aviicii-like, cutting back of the heavy dance beats.

Tom: But you know what? It still works. He’s still got it. And I still expect this to reach the charts.

Tim: It does work, and I hope you’re right. Also, I think one of my favourite lyric videos: creative, fun, no typos, everything it needs.

Saturday Flashback: Herreys – Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley

Contains SPOILERS for Eurovision 1984

Tim: I got listening to my Melodifestivalen Best Of album again earlier.

Tom: Of course you have a Melodifestivalen Best Of album.

Tim: Of course I do – it’s brilliant. This is the winner from 1984, and I challenge you to listen to it without wanting to click your fingers in the chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-RRXHG00GY

Tom: Oh heavens, that’s astonishingly 80s right there. Matching white trousers.

Tim: SPOILER if you’ve got Eurovision 1984 on Sky+ and haven’t got round to watching it yet: this came first, as you can probably judge from the crowd’s reaction there, and why wouldn’t it? These guys are up there singing about the glories of being laughed at for their choice of shoes.

Tom: Ha! Somehow that elevates the song from ‘kitsch’ to ‘brilliance’ in my head, but I’ve no idea why.

Tim: Well good, because it should. Of course, since the vast majority of Europe didn’t know that, the lesson we can take is that the best tactic for victory is jumble a few singable syllables that don’t make sense to anyone and trust that they’re catchy enough to be remembered. And here: oh yes.

Tom: Plus a key change. Always a key change.

Tim: Always. This is catchy, nonsensical, and entirely JOYOUS, because that comes across even if the details don’t. LOVELY LOVELY TRACK.

Cheryl – Only Human

“The song just works so well”

Tim: Two singles have so far been unveiled from Cheryl (just Cheryl)’s new album, and neither of them is particular inspiring – decent enough pop tracks, but nothing special. This, though, is the one you get now if you pre-order (still hate that) the album, and is a bit more special. And less sweary.

Tom: Maybe I’m just bad with faces, but that image really doesn’t look like her. Amazing what an angle and some make-up will do.

Tim: And having part of your face replaced with a tiger.

Tim: I really, really like this – the music behind the chorus is great, the ending of it especially, and the song just works so well with the contrast between that and the almost a cappella first verse.

Tom: Right, I see what you mean – I’m not quite as sold on that chorus, but I’ll agree that it’s well put together.

Tim: Then there’s the lyrics, matching the various tones perfectly – downbeat lyrics for quiet verses, powerful “you are the universe” lyrics for the big choruses, and the reminder that even if it does seem a bit crap, it happens to everyone, with the unspoken implication that yeah, it gets better.

Tom: I want to like this song a lot more than I do: all the components should work, but for some reason it doesn’t work as a full-on song for me.

Tim: Also in the first half of the chorus she sounds like Mel C, and that brings back nice memories. All in all, a really rather brilliant track.

McBusted – Air Guitar

“Astonishingly, this is their debut single.”

Tom: Astonishingly, this is their debut single.

Tim: YES.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAChK7d3U2M

Tom: Firstly and most importantly: it is annoying me SO MUCH that the Rock Band-esque plectrums aren’t matching up to the actual notes.

Tim: YES to that, and also to “the lie they TIHINK I’M LIVING get’s me high”. It’s weird – so much effort has clearly gone into that, which almost makes me think they’re trying to annoy people.

Tom: “Definitely Busted lyrics, not McFly lyrics,” says Matt, our Radio Insider. He’s right, as well.

Tim: Oh, see I DISAGREE most vehemently. It struck me as I was listening to it that the best Busted songs were all telling silly stories: getting off with an air hostess, or a great-great-great-granddaughter, or Miss McKenzie, or just being superheroes. Though I suppose it’s closer to that than the standard romantic lyrics that McFly go in for either, so maybe.

Tom: The trouble is, if this is the lead single, I’m a bit worried about the rest of the album.

Tim: Yeah?

Tom: The track feels a bit cold and clinical to me, like there’s something missing. There’s not much of the old spark there, until the middle eight.

Then it finally kicks in — after that, it’s recognisably their sound, and the final chorus sells it, complete with the “silence the guitars and do two beats a capella in tight harmony” bit that always works so well. But the rest of it just doesn’t seem to match the standard that they’ve had in the past.

Tim: No – there’s the sense of fun that’s not so much there. I’m not sure I’d describe it as clinical, but you’re right there’s something missing. Listen to the second verse – “I know I’ll never make it but tonight I’m good enough to fake it.” Lyrics are fine, but they’re not smiling when they’re singing, and I WANT THEM TO BE. However, despite that, I have no real problems with this musically, and the chorus is great, and singalongable, and shouty, and great.

Tom: And what’s with that ending? You’re ripping off Rock Band in the video, you’re doing your big first debut single as a group — where’s the Big Rock Outro? Hammer the guitars, go crazy on the drums, do a big final blast instead of ending it coldly.

Tim: Hmm – it’s enough for me, but I certainly get where you’re coming from.

Tom: Don’t get me wrong, I reckon it’s an okay album track, maybe even a third or fourth single — but the lead? It’s not quite there.

Tim: I’d say B-, and it hasn’t stopped me being excited about the album.

BBC Music – God Only Knows

“It’s not Perfect Day.”

Tim: You may or may not remember Perfect Day, the Lou Reed cover that the BBC put together back in 1997 that had just about every artist in the world in it.

Tom: Remember it? I think it was the first single I bought. Charity and all.

Tim: Well, they’ve gone and done something similar with this Beach Boys track seventeen years later. This got broadcast on every channel and station last night (except Radio 3, who were busy playing Brahms) both to promote the new BBC Music thing and to raise money for Comic Relief. Shall we?

Tim: Hmm.

Tom: “Hmm” is right.

Tim: Well, I think the first question we should all be asking is what on Earth is going on with Louis and Niall’s hair –

Tom: I was going to mention that.

Tim: – but musically I’m going to say…ehhh. It’s a track, certainly, and it’s musical, for the most part it’s very enjoyable.

Tom: But it’s not Perfect Day. Am I looking back with rose-tinted spectacles? Possibly, but I can remember being absolutely blown away by Perfect Day when it first appeared on TV — here, they seem to be dazzling with ridiculous CGI rather than just good music.

Tim: The only criticism I have is that I’m really not sure the orchestral/chorus break sounds right. I get that they want to indicate that it’s about all types of music, but I think if you want to do that, make it longer.

Tom: Right! Yes! Perfect Day is busy, but it never approaches anywhere near “cacophony”. There’s not room enough to breathe in here. The instrumental break of Perfect Day was one very good solo: here, we’ve got loads of instruments and vocalists, and each one gets a pause to itself. And Brian May crowbars his trademark guitar sound in. It doesn’t work.

Tim: I’m usually the first to complain that a track’s too long, but you’re barely pushing two and a half minutes there, and I don’t think anyone’d begrudge you an extra minute to fit it together better.

Tom: Also, let’s be clear about that video: Brian Wilson has the haunted look of someone who has no idea what’s going on.

Tim: Still, gets the point across, and it’s good enough to listen to. Makes the right point about how important music is to them, and at a time when people are having a go at the BBC right, right and further right, it’s nice to have them showing off what they can do. And beg for our support, which I suppose is a more cynical and probably unfair way of looking at the lyrics. So I’ll close by saying: great idea, not quite so great execution, but good enough for me.

Benjamin – Underdogs

“Formulaic, by the numbers, cheap, almost lazy, just no.”

Tim: Another Scandinavian kid with an aversion to surnames, this is Benjamin, and in an attempt to trigger your “get off my lawn” reflex, I’ll tell you that he rose to fame via Instagram.

Tom: Oh, for crying out loud.

Tim: Not really sure how that works, but anyway, here’s his first track.

Tom: UNNECESSARY SHIRTLESS SHOT. And heaven knows why they decided to film a video for a Scandinavian pop star in the east end of London.

Tim: Now, call me a cynical bastard if you like, but a tiny part of me has the feeling that someone at Warner got bored of listening to music demos one day and just thought “hang on, that guy’s getting famous, let’s have him.” Find a songwriter who can give you something that doesn’t require a huge amount of singing ability, stick a microphone in front of the photogenic one, film him jumping around a bit and bingo, you’ve got a hit, right?

Tom: Quite possibly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the song’s any good.

Tim: No, it certainly doesn’t, and let’s be honest it’s not the greatest. I’d like to think that’s not the case. I really would. But I can’t quite shake the feeling that it is. I don’t know. Maybe his album, out next year, will convince me otherwise. But otherwise: formulaic, by the numbers, cheap, almost lazy, just no.

Summer Heart – Sleep

“A pleasant if slightly uninspiring track”

Tim: Okay, how about something a bit relaxing for you?

Tom: Hmm. “Relaxing” usually means “I’ll fall asleep at some point”. The title doesn’t help. Who’s behind it?

Tim: New Swedish bloke, known to his mum as David Alexander but to the rest of the world as Summer Heart.

Tim: And there you go. Pleasant enough, I think you’ll agree?

Tom: I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy that as much as I did. Just one catch: I don’t like the chorus. And that’s weird for me; normally the choruses stand out for me in any song, but here I think they let the side down a bit.

The verses are bloody lovely, though.

Tim: Nothing loud, nothing intense, just a nice track to sit back and relax to, maybe in a park on a sunny May afternoon. Which makes it slightly odd that it’s being released in November, but maybe he’s got an Australian audience in mind, or maybe he’s banking on recalling happy memories. Either way, it’s a pleasant if slightly uninspiring track, nicely suited to lying back and doing nothing. I’ll take it.

Saturday Flashback: Doctor Spin – Tetris (Radio Edit)

“Let’s play a guessing game.”

Tim: It’s 1992, we’ve pretty much reached ‘peak Tetris’, and a producer calling himself Doctor Spin has taken it upon himself to release to the world a dance version of the ubiquitous theme tune.

Tom: Crikey, that opening synth isn’t ripped off 2 Unlimited’s “Get Ready For This” at all.

Tim: Well, that’s barely a part of it – this really is entirely awful, with its vast lack of effort and originality, and so it’s hardly surprising that Doctor Spin is in fact a pseudonym. But for who? Let’s play a guessing game; here are some clues:
– he’s quite definitely one of the most notable names in music of the past few decades
– he’s the face of several TV talent shows
– he’s not traditionally (or indeed at all) known for having anything to do with dance music

Tom: Simon Cowell?

Tim: No, so let’s have another: the same year as this was released, he was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and five years later he received a peerage for services to music (apparently despite this).

Tom: You are kidding me.

Tim: Oh, we might be getting there, but one more: two of his other works are based on biblical stories; another revolves around a ghost, and one more was made famous by Madonna.

Tom: Andrew Lloyd Bloody Webber?

Tim: There it is, and yes, that’s right! Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber, created this abomination, and got to number 6 in the charts with it, so well done everyone. My respect for both him and the record-buying public of 1992 has now diminished considerably, and to make up for it I think we should all have a history lesson, because that there is how a Tetris adaptation should be done.

Tom: That is exactly the link I thought it was. Well done.

Tim: Well, it’s the only one it could be, really.