Miriam Bryant – Dragon

“I haven’t heard a better intro and first verse than that in a very, very long time.”

Tim: Miriam was last seen collaborating with Zedd, but now she’s back with the first single off her second album, and quite a good single it is too.

Tom: That is an AMAZING intro. Seriously, I haven’t heard a better intro and first verse than that in a very, very long time.

Tim: High praise indeed. It’s certainly got a promising intro, with both keyboard lines having potential. Hitting the chorus, that potential goes quite a long way to being realised.

Tom: It’s very much not four-on-the-floor, which confused me through that first chorus: once I learned to expect it, yes, it’s bloody amazing.

Tim: It is: the thumping that the lower piano line brought in is developed with other instruments in a way that quite definitely states I AM HERE, in rather a majestic manner entirely appropriate to the dragon she’s offering to be. Though quite how that fits with “you will never see me on the street” baffles me somewhat.

Tom: And “apple of the corner of my eye” is an interesting lyric, although, again, I’m not entirely sure what it means.

Tim: No. No, me neither. Oddly, unlike many songs with a big chorus like that, I’m not sat during the second verse just waiting for it to come back, which is nice, because it would appear the verse is rather satisfying as well. Perhaps I was hoping for a slightly bigger chorus the first time round after that hefty build, but all in all, this is a very enjoyable track.

Saturday Flashback: Ashley Roberts – Clockwork

“This doesn’t so much have a chorus as it does one single repeated line.”

Tom: “Unlike Nicole,” says our reader CB, “this is an ex-Pussycat that is putting out good music!” Handbags, etc.

Tim: Ooh, that’s very nice.

Tom: This doesn’t so much have a chorus as it does one single repeated line. Some songs can get away with that, because that one line is brilliant and the rest of the song backs it up — Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t A Scene” comes to mind. This particular track, though? Well, sadly, that one line just isn’t that good.

Tim: WHAAAAT???

Tom: Crikey, four As and three question marks. I have startled you.

Tim: Are we listening to the same song? That second chorus and closing chorus (yes, it is a full chorus) are wonderful bits, even if the first version of it does leave a lot to be desired.

Tom: It’s all a Standard Pop Song — I just don’t think it’s much more than that.

Tim: Okay there I’ll agree, because the chorus is considerably let down by the rest, but man, that chorus.

Basic Element – Someone Out There

“That qualifies as a CHOON.”

Tim: Here’s one for a Friday, to get you READY FOR THE WEEKEND. (And before you ask, no idea about the car.)

Tom: Well, that qualifies as a CHOON.

Tim: I’m writing this on Thursday evening; when it goes up I’ll be desperately trying to manage hordes of people all desperate to get their hands on shiny new phones. And you know what? This is a perfect track to accompany that. It’s loud, it’s a bit messy with the rapping on top, it’s reminiscent of dance tracks of old (fairly sure there’s a Faithless track lying around in there somewhere), but more importantly it’s LOUD.

Tom: Agreed. It’s a fairly 90s track, all things being equal, and someone how that’s not a bad thing.

Tim: BANGING, in fact, if that word hasn’t lost all meaning yet. This is a middle of the set track, to be played when people are jumping around and happy to keep on do so, and ideally as far away from God Is A DJ as possible so people don’t notice.

CLMD – Wild Men

“The first time you push play you won’t be concentrating on the music.”

Tim: This is a video that could be taken several ways: funny, weird, maybe horrifically disturbing. Either way, the first time you push play you won’t be concentrating on the music.

Tom: Which doesn’t say much for the music, really.

Tim: Perhaps not, but if you switch the screen off and just focus on the sound, you can really appreciate it somewhat, or at least understand what the video has to do with the music. It’s not particularly special – this would most likely fall into the forgettable category you introduced on Tuesday – but I think the video at least is worth a note.

Tom: I’m not sold on that video: adding subtitles doesn’t really work in a music video.

Tim: No – only really serves to further distract from the sound. It’s not a bad track by any means, but it’s all somewhat standard, and the video really isn’t. So what does that tell us? That the two dance producers would be better off script-writing? They should just focus on the day job? Or perhaps nothing at all, and what we should really be doing is DANCING when a DJ puts this on in a club, because I’d very happily do that.

Tove Lo – Timebomb

“That absolutely gorgeous chorus.”

Tim: Do you fancy rhythm in your verses? If you do, you’re out of luck with this. On the other hand…

Tim: …everything else about the track is bloody wonderful, and even the verse thing is overlookable once you’re expecting it.

Tom: It’s an interesting approach, certainly: it’s been tried before a few times before, and I’m not sure it completely works here — but at least it provides a contrast into that absolutely gorgeous chorus.

Tim: It does, and as for the rest of it: a lovely piano line underneath everything, a nice speedy drumbeat on top of that, and once the pre-chorus comes along, and then gives way to the full-on chorus, that instrumentation is just incredible.

Tom: Yep: the production is fantastic.

Tim: I especially like those noises that sound like a cartoon laser gun being fired, just because I don’t think I’ve heard them in any other song.

Tom: Gnarls Barkley’s Smiley Faces?

Tim: Sort of, but they don’t really have the same “pew! pew!” effect that gives the impression of just moving very very quickly, desperate to move on, that’s demonstrated in so many other parts of the song – the rushed verse, the quick drums, the timebomb in the lyrics.

Even at three and a half minutes, that makes the song seems as though it’s way too short, and I don’t really want it to stop, because dammit we COULD be the best thing ever, so let’s do everything quickly before we explode and do it all as much as possible. ONE TRACK REPEAT PLEASE.

The Main Level – Go Go With You

“Like some comedians are trying to do a boyband parody.”

Tim: Remember the glory days of One Direction, with tracks like Live While We’re Young and What Makes You Beautiful?

Tom: Crikey. Three years ago, that was.

Tim: Yep, and this Norwegian boyband do as well, and they’d also like to demonstrate all the geography they learnt at school.

Tim: That’s really what you get when a boyband doesn’t care about whether or not they’re a boyband, but instead care about MAKING GREAT MUSIC. And music videos with silly ‘plots’ involving a security guard that’s confused by a keypad, but never mind that.

Tom: Oh good grief, they look like a parody of a boy band, like some comedians are trying to do a boyband parody sketch. The cheesy cutaways, the by-the-numbers videography, the constant hands on each other’s shoulders.

Tim: Clap your hands right from the get go, please, because this is a song that knows what it’s doing – lyrics are “yes, you (YOU) are my girlfriend so let’s do stuff together”, music too has no sense of ever sitting down or staying still.

Tom: I just don’t get it: the music sounds like a parody — specifically, a bit like Key and Peele’s LMFAO parody. Those aren’t lyrics: you’re just naming a load of places.

Tim: I have one complaint: those “oh, o-oh”s coming out of the middle eight would be a perfect, a PERFECT, place for a key change. Opportunity considerably missed there, but never mind, because the rest is just great. Very very great.

Tom: Most of the tracks we cover are forgettable–

Tim: Well that’s going on the potential slogan list.

Tom: A few, I want to hear again, and I download them. And a few, I never want to hear again because for some irrational reason they annoy me so much. This is one of the latter.

Tim: Oh, how disappointing.

Merely – Forever

“What a very odd track.”

Tim: Interesting artist name, I know, but no worse than at least one other act around at the moment. And this song is…well, hard to describe succinctly, so have a listen.

Tom: What a very odd track.

Tim: In parts ghostly, soulful, beat-heavy, gentle, swooshy and towards the end just plain BANGING, the PR stuff describes it (somewhat accurately for once) as a mixture of “banging euro techno from your adolescence and the angel choirs from your funeral.”

Tom: Hmm. I can see where they’re coming from, but I’m not sure that the two match entirely. It sounds like a mashup, even though it isn’t — those vocals don’t quite fit with the backing.

Tim: I think this is a lovely track, if only because it showcases all the possibilities that dance music like this can bring right now. It’s varied, it’s almost exciting, it’s just great to sit back, listen to and appreciate. There’s not much of a structure to it, but there doesn’t need to be – just hear it and enjoy it.

Tom: Yes, I can agree with that. It’s a bit like the difference between high fashion and regular fashion: you’re not supposed to wear what’s on the catwalk, but it’s supposed to show just what you can do with clothing. This, to me, isn’t massively listenable: but it does show off what you can do with music.

Tim: Going back to the PR, though now we’re back to the usual over-inflated guff, it’s “like a therapy session with the higher powers, that ends when the phone dies.” Though you know what? I kind of know where it’s coming from.

Saturday Flashback: Martin Stenmarck – Tonight’s The Night

“Since when did the first verse do that?”

Tim: I realised after I wrote it that Wednesday’s post may have given the impression that Melodifestivalen 2014 was Martin’s first outing; hell no, in fact he’s been going a couple of decades. Here’s a particular highlight, from 2011.

Tim: That’s a heck of a first few notes, I think you’ll agree, which is a good start for what’s a very good track.

Tom: I’m DANCING IN MY CHAIR to the first verse, Tim. Maybe it’s late and I’m tired as I write this, maybe I’m just in a suggestible mood, but since when did the first verse do that?

Tim: You think? Because my thought was that the verse wasn’t really the greatest, but then that chorus is very definitely loud and vigorous and enticing.

Tom: Oh! Oh you’re so wrong. The chorus was a bit of a let-down, because it’s a little bit slow and suddenly goes into a minor key at the end. I’m all about the insistent percussion and the synth backing in the verses, and that’s really weird for me.

I’m guessing you’re about the choruses, though?

Tim: Oh yes – the last chorus in particular, back after that shouty then briefly quiet middle eight, could safely be described as enormous. Multiple vocal lines, massive production with big beats behind it…basically everything you need for a terrific dance track. Martin Stenmarck: excellent artist.

Tom: Agreed.

Jenni Vartiainen – Eden

“A bit like an Apple Watch”

Tim: Remember Jenni Vartiainen? Feel free to remind yourself if not, but basically: good pop with big instrumental backing.

Tim: And, conveniently, not much has changed. True, it’s not as big as some we’ve heard before, but this is still a great track.

Tom: Hmm. My attention kept slipping from it: I’ve tried to listen three times now: each time after about a minute I realised I wasn’t listening any more.

Tim: Curious – I have no such problem. I particularly like (as I suspect I’m meant to) the sense in the chorus that there’s something coming, and yes, I’ll find out if I just wait a bit, but I’d rather not; when it does coming along, though, much like an Apple Watch, the outcome is positive enough that all is forgiven.

Tom: See, I think it’s a bit like an Apple Watch too: vaguely specified, a bit confusing and disappointing, and no-one’s actually going to buy it.

Tim: Ah. The middle eight has all the ‘wait, wait, wait’ going on as well, although to be honest it almost takes it a bit far, giving a slight sense of ‘oh, hurry up’, but then the closing section comes along and, yeah, it’s all still worth it. Aye-aye-aye etc.

Tom: I’ve tried to listen two more times, and it’s just slipped away again. I’m not convinced.

Tim: Well, I am. It’s lovely.

John de Sohn – You Only Love Me

“When the instrumental hits, who the hell cares about the verses?”

Tim: We featured John about eighteen months ago; I couldn’t remember that, or the song, but then after watching this I noticed one of the related videos, which, and I can’t possibly think why, has stuck with me. Still couldn’t remember the song, though, but here’s his new one.

Tim: Now, I’m fairly sure I’ve heard that first verse before; in fact I spent the entirety of it running through Olly Murs songs in my head, never a pleasant task.

Tom: Bruno Mars for me. I reckon you’re thinking of the “to give me all your love / is all I ever asked” bit from Grenade.

Tim: Oh yes, that’s it. But when the instrumental hits, who the hell cares about the verses if you’ve got that going on?

Tom: Yes, yes, yes. I couldn’t agree more. Everything from that subtle arpeggiated build onwards: it absolutely works.

Tim: Is it brass, or is it just synths? Probably the latter, but damn it sounds good. Sure, vocals are good as well, but really it’s all about that post-chorus. It’s over-and-over-again stuff, and I LOVE it.

Tom: I know that every BANGING CHOON needs to have calm bits in it too, but I can’t help feeling that the verses let this down just a little bit. It is really all about the chorus.