Matt Cardle – Hole In My Heart

What it shows most of all is his variety.

Tim: Matt Cardle’s had an interesting career – filled with highs and lows, and despite having been ditched by Syco as soon as possible, he’s actually emerged as one of the more successful X Factor winners.

Tom: Strange, isn’t it? I’d have predicted obscurity, but he just keeps going. I’ve got to respect that.

Tim: He won it two years after (the arguably should-have-been-more-successful) Alexandra Burke but he’s got more albums out, and more than Leona Lewis had at this point in her career. Here’s the third single off his new album, and, despite’s Syco’s best hopes, really rather good.

Tom: Hmm. I’m not convinced. What’re the good points for you?

Tim: The sound is great, it’s memorable, it’s loud and not excessively so, and what it shows most of all is his variety. Compare this with High School Musical extract Loving You, or his more recent funk-driven When You Were My Girl, and we’ve clearly got an artist who can do pretty much whatever he wants.

Tom: Of course, you could also spin that as a lack of consistency. For me, this track just doesn’t appeal: when the standout part is the lead into the middle eight, it doesn’t speak well for the rest of the song. But you’re right: he can certainly do what he wants.

Tim: It also gives an insight into both why he was so quick to break from X Factor – I’m guessing not enough artistic freedom – and why they were so quick to wipe him from history – he’s a clear example of what can go right when you don’t stay under the thumb. And it can clearly go very, very right.

Carina Perenkranz & Pernilla Parszyk – C’mon & Däns

“One of the best-sounding intros I’ve heard in a while. And then… good grief”

Tom: Oh crikey, that’s a dodgy title.

Tim: This song was initially accepted for this year’s Melodifestivalen, and allocated a slot in the final 32, but then got kicked out a few weeks beforehand because these two are, apparently, best known for being an advert. But here’s the song and, well, it’s basically utterly ludicrous.

Tim: So let’s split it into segments. Intro: very promising.

Tom: Heavens, yes. That’s one of the best-sounding intros I’ve heard in a while. And then… good grief.

Tim: Verse: awful. Pre-chorus: fairly awful. Middle-eight: fairly awful then very good.

Tom: I’m fairly sure I heard the words “Mick Jagger” in there somewhere.

Tim: I wouldn’t be remotely surprised. The chorus, though: utterly wonderful and so brilliant that I started laughing as soon as I heard it.

Tom: I wouldn’t go that far. It’s certainly a pretty good schlager chorus, but it doesn’t make up for the rest of it.

Tim: Not really, no. It’s certainly no loss to Melodifestivalen, though there are worse tracks in there so I suppose it might have been an improvement but actually if it had gone to Melodifestivalen this ridiculous video might not have surfaced, and that would have been a shame. Basically this song is half brilliant and half awful, and I’m really not sure which half takes it for me. Though I am tempted to chop out that chorus and set it as a ringtone for one particular group of my friends.

Tom: HANDS IN THE AIR, Tim. HANDS IN THE AIR.

Fabrizio Ferrara – Try Me On

“A more than respectable showing.”

Tim: This track comes in to us from Charlie, who also co-wrote it. I do like it when people own up to sending their own tracks in — occasionally we get folks pretending they’re fans of their own work, and it’s always a bit awkward.

Tom: “Let me show you what undressing’s about.” Hmm. Now, I was going to write “that’s clunky as hell and the clothing metaphor gets old”, but on second listen my brain finally worked out that “wearing you out” could be about something other than sex and I forgave it.

Tim: Yes, those lyrics can be okay, but the rest of it – I’m going with 60% listenable and 40% annoying. The chorus is decent enough (and a nicely executed key change), but the verses, early middle eight and pre-chorus don’t have much for me to focus on aside from the straight-from-2009 autotune, which is just unpleasant.

Tom: Despite some ridiculous clichés in the video — forget the dancer’s head, let’s just focus just on her body! — it’s well produced, and whoever scouted the locations deserves a pay rise. That mountaintop is gorgeous. And, presumably, very cold for someone who’s only in two layers of clothing. Which is a bit ironic, given the whole clothing metaphor thing.

Tim: Can’t disagree with, well any of that.

Tom: All that said: cracking key change, decent production for what seems to be an indie release, almost certainly not going to be number one but a more than respectable showing for something that hasn’t been through Stargate Studios and its ilk.

Tim: Yeah, I’ll stick with that. Lose the autotune and I might even be enthusiastic about it.

Molly Smitten-Downes – Children of the Universe

“Very possibly a vote-winner.”

Tim: Last Friday, BBC Eurovision producer Guy Freeman sent a wave of relief through British Eurovision fans by announcing that this year’s entry would be based on not what he heard on a pub jukebox at the weekend but on actual current talent; specifically, largely unknown talent taken from the BBC Introducing program (new acts send their stuff to their local BBC radio station, if it’s good enough they get played, and then maybe noticed by the big boys at Radio 1 or 2).

Tom: I never thought I’d say “bring back Bonnie Tyler”. But I listened to ‘Believe in Me’ a couple of times today, and, you know what? It might not have won Eurovision, but it’s not a bad song at all.

Tim: It’s not – it’s just a slightly uninspiring ballad that really wasn’t a vote-winner. This, on the other hand?

Tim: Very possibly a vote-winner, because I reckon that’s quite good.

Tom: I’m not so sure. What’s with that awful ‘power to the people’ chant? That’s a really bad motif to start and end the song with. The rest of it’s not bad at all — but all anyone’s going to remember is the dull bit.

Tim: Oh, I doubt that – for me, it’s the titular hook that sticks. In fact, on repeated listens, I’d go so far as to say it’s very good. It has a good number of the requisite Eurovision elements – big PAY ATTENTION drumbeat, powerful chorus, emphatic singalong chant, slightly throaty voice that means the singer has depth, backing singers in the first chorus that could in any standard song be left until the final chorus to improve it but MOLLY KNOWS WHAT SHE’S DOING. This is a song that was written by her specifically for Eurovision, and with it comes an entirely welcome nail-on-the-head feel-good message to it. YEAH! WE’RE the CHILDREN. Of the UNIVERSE. The whole flipping UNIVERSE, dammit! WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT. WHHEEEY!

Tom: She’s got a good voice, it’s a modern pop song, it’s just… well, let’s just say I’m pretty sure we’re not going to be seeing Eurovision in the NEC next year. That said, I maintain that “Only Teardrops”, last year’s actual winner, was a bit of a letdown — so what do I know?

Tim: I’ll resist the temptation. It’s worth noting, finally, that we still weren’t guaranteed a decent act – sure, we got Florence and the Machine and Rizzle Kicks through Introducing, but it also spewed out Ed Sheeran and Jake Bugg. Fortunately, it’s done us very well here, and it’s nice that, for only the second time in five years, I’m not largely embarrassed by our national entry. And who knows? It might even get Radio 1 airplay, and (just possibly) turn Eurovision into a well-respected music competition.

Tom: Let’s not go that far.

Tim: No, probably not.

Ryan Dolan – Start Again

“He’s got the voice to pull off a Big Song like this, and he does it bloody well.”

Tim: Remember Ryan Dolan?

Tom: No?

Tim: Yes you do, Ryan Dolan.

Tom: Still no. Despite watching Eurovision, that one slipped past me. Maybe I nipped out during that song?

Tim: Here’s his new track, which is decidedly not an upbeat dance number like that. Prepare yourself for sadness, and you might want to keep a couple of nice cat GIFs on the side for afterwards.

Tom: Well, call me a cold-hearted jerk, but the video came across as mawkish rather than actually sad.

Tim: Seriously?

Tom: The message is good, I suppose, but they could have eased off on the melodrama a bit.

Tim: Maybe it does escalate a bit quickly, but bear in mind you’ve about two and a half minutes to tell that story; you can’t exactly take it slowly.

Tom: Well, Pink managed it.

Tim: Yes, and back then you said anyone else doing it would probably annoy you; guess you were right. Any other criticisms to pile on top of what I maintain is a spot-on video?

Tom: They could also have proof-read that message at the end.

Tim: Oh, fine. Anyone with a heart who’s still paying attention: feel free to cheer yourself up with this.

Tom: That’s probably fake as well. Would spraypaint really show up like that, front-lit at night?

Tim: Oh, for heaven’s sake, I don’t know. If we could move on to the song now, Ryan came out as gay a few weeks back, and also talked about his teenage depression due to that, so especially with the message at the end it’s clear this is an incredibly personal song, and what wonderful one it is. The emotion in the voice is enormous, and the way the strings, piano and drums build up for the big choruses at the end is just wonderful.

Tom: So, setting aside my thoughts about the video: yep, that’s a pretty good song, and there’s a hell of a lot of emotion in there. He’s got the voice to pull off a Big Song like this, and he does it bloody well.

Tim: One notable thing about this is the “didn’t even know if I could make it or not”, which is lifted straight for Bon Jovi; first I thought it was weird, or annoying, but then I realised what came next – obviously, it’s “we’ve got each other”, except here, when it’s “’cause everyday is harder on your own”, which turns it into an incredibly clever piece of songwriting. This is a fantastic track, and I don’t know if it’ll get around enough to spread awareness and stuff, but it’s a damn good effort.

Saturday Reject: Jorge González – Aunque Se Acabe El Mundo

“Pretty damn Spanish while still being modern.”

Tim: Last Saturday, I got somewhat tipsy while watching four Eurovision selections simultaneously; one of them was Spain. Former UK X Factor contestant Ruth Lorenzo won, with a song that didn’t quite match up to her potential, but never mind. What didn’t win was this.

Tim: Now, I wanted this to win for three reasons: first, he’s very good looking (yes, I’m shallow, but no more than Eurovision’s primary voters).

Tom: To be fair, even I’d agree with that.

Tim: Second, he’s got a name that’s about as Spanish as you can get.

Tom: And a sound that’s pretty damn Spanish while still being modern.

Tim: And that’s my third point: it’s a damn good song. The title translates as ‘Even If The World Ends’, and according to a popular online translation system it’s all about keeping on trying and never giving up. And man, that’s a good message, with no crappy rubbish about love and all that, and one that’s well represented in the song.

Tom: Agreed: it’s a good sign for me if, on the first listen, I find myself tapping my feet along. This managed exactly that.

Tim: It is clearly a Spanish sound (good), and it also has the necessary ‘keep trying’ effort and energy going and going and going and after a while it becomes difficult not to rhyme going with boing, but anyway.

Tom: Are you still drunk, by any chance?

Tim: I’d say no; the empty bottle of port on my desk may discredit that though. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a brilliant track, and if it wasn’t destined to end up buried as a failed Eurovision attempt it could probably do very well remixed on the club circuit. Maybe someone can sort that out?

Bright Light Bright Light feat. Elton John – I Wish We Were Leaving

“Drum-and-bass & dreamlike instrumentation”

Tim: Following on from last weeks current and old collaboration, have another.

Tom: “Feat. Elton John” is a pretty good credit to have.

Tim: Elton, allegedly, phoned up Mr Light Bright Light to inform him that he was a bit of a fan; inspiration struck Rod, and he rewrote this track as duet, called Elton and asked him to sing. Nice, isn’t it?

Tom: It is: it’s unusual to hear what sounds almost like drum-and-bass underneath dreamlike instrumentation, but it works well.

Tim: Apparently, Elton taking lead vocals on the second verse is “a reminder that every relationship has two sides and two voices”, which if you think about it is slightly unfair and denigrating of couples in which one person is mute, but never mind.

Tom: I think you can have a “voice” without actually having a voice. But leaving your pedantry aside: wow, Elton’s got a voice.

Tim: It’s a lovely track, and the voices complement each other well, though that may have something to do with Elton’s singing being toned down somewhat for this genre: “I had to sing in a completely different way which I really enjoyed.”

Tom: That chorus does remind me a bit of the Beach Boys’ God Only Knows, mind.

Tim: As with so many of his tracks, this has a slight mix of the downbeat and the happiness, with the whole “breaking up but you’ll be fine” thing going on. It’s lovely, and, if either of you are reading, since you both enjoyed it perhaps it could be a regular thing? I wouldn’t be complaining.

5 Seconds of Summer – She Looks So Perfect

“What does a number one mean when no-one’s actually heard it?”

Tim: Yes, I know, another boyband, but this time there’s something INTERESTING. And it sounds slightly different, and it’s got a very fun video.

Tom: So these guys sound a bit like a discount version of the Strokes, instead of a discount version of One Direction. Got it.

Tim: You say discount, but this is a brilliant track. It went straight to number one on iTunes in 38 countries (including the UK and their native Australia) when it became available to pre-order*, and that would have been deservedly so.

* Hate that term. How did society forget that ordering is, by definition, already pre-?

Tom: It’s not a bad track, true: in a regular charts week, it’ll stand out.

Tim: Except – it wasn’t deserved. Because this was available to pre-order before this video was up. And also before the very good lyric video was up. Before, in fact, any member of the public had heard any part of it at all. And that’s odd. Isn’t it?

I suppose it’s nice that their fans have faith in them to produce a good tune, but it raises the question of how charts can stay relevant with this marketing model. It seems sales may be somewhat meaningless, or at least the pre-orders.

Tom: Now, for the official UK charts — unless things have changed very recently — pre-orders counted as purchases in the first week of release, which meant a much higher chart position in that first week. iTunes, of course, just counts them immediately.

Tim: What does a number one mean when no-one’s actually heard it? It could, let’s be honest, just be three and a half minutes of them all throwing up last night’s hangover. A worthy number one? Hell no. But a number one nonetheless.

Tom: There’s a dubstep joke there somewhere.

Tim: Oh, you. Anyway, fortunately it’s not three and a half minutes of them throwing up; it’s instead a great track and indeed worthy.

Emmelie de Forest – Rainmaker

“Oh, they’ve gone for Fake African Chanting!”

Tim: In an apparent attempt to alienate the entirety of the south-west of Britain, the EBU have chosen to make this the official theme to this year’s Song Contest.

Tom: Oh, they’ve gone for Fake African Chanting! It’s like the mid-2000s never went away.

Tim: They certainly didn’t. She’s clearly happy staying true to the sound that won her the competition, or at the that’s the plan that the contest producers have anyway. It makes sense, after all – this is the sound that Europe officially declared their favourite, and it’s here in a song that has a lot of good bits in it.

Tom: Yep, despite my initial cynicism, this is pretty damn good – as you said, it’s a winning sound.

Tim: For a start, it has “join us” in it quite prominently (though it’s probably in the lyrics as #JoinUs), which is good for the branding and all that. It also has that lovely “make a rain” hook (sod the south-west) which has been going round in my head for quite some time now.

Tom: “Sod the South-West” being the original lyrics to NWA’s breakthrough hit, of course.

Tim: I can’t deny that the “weya”s get a bit tedious after a while, but that’s made up for by the rest of it. Well done producers, nice choice.

Satin Circus – Expectations

“Yes, it’s coming, almost there, HERE IT IS.”

Tim: Before we start, know that this is exactly the boyband sound I was complaining about recently.

Tom: The “exactly like One Direction” sound?

Tim: It is not something I will be complaining about today.

Tim: The reason I won’t be complaining is that it’s flipping brilliant.

Tom: Yep. And that’s because it sounds pretty much exactly like One Direction.

Tim: Yes, but almost an idealised One Direction. The lyrics, obviously, are of the standard tedious variety designed purely to appeal to every teenage girl out there, but it’s the music where it stands out. That chorus really is top notch – a fantastic vocal melody that’s remarkably catchy, instrumentation that doesn’t quite hit wall of sound levels but is certainly on the way.

Tom: To be fair, I think some of that is dodgy compression on the audio file: there’s a lot been crushed down there. It’s a cracking chorus either way, though.

Tim: One of my favourite parts is the great lead back into the chorus out of the quiet middle eight – there’s a sense of “yes, it’s coming, almost there, HERE IT IS”. This song has me drumming my fists on the table so much that my knuckles are somewhat sore now, and it takes a good song to do that.

Tom: You… you might want to consider gloves? I guess?

Tim: Wouldn’t get the same feeling. As mentioned previously, they claim to write all their own stuff and are of the “don’t call us a boyband” style of boyband; if they come up with this, though, I’m willing to do them that courtesy, or at the very least put them in the same elevated category of boyband as the likes of McFly – high praise, but much-deserved.

Tom: It’s a pretty good debut. It’s no “5 Colours”, but then that was very a much song from the last decade: this is a pretty damn good start.

Tim: The album’s out now everywhere (one of them’s written a pretty good blog post about the ‘everywhere’ bit and worldwide releases in general) and is full of this stuff, with only one dull ballad. Worth your money.