The Fooo – Fridays Are Forever

“What 5ive might be bringing out.”

Tom: Ah, these guys again! Not a cover of an odd track, this time?

Tim: No, a new one. This appeared last Wednesday, but I only saw it on Saturday, and I thought we should probably leave it until now because, well, check the title.

Tim: As a poor, crappy retail worker I have little love for Fridays, coming as they do not before the weekend but before the worst day of the week, but it’s still hard to hear this without feeling some appreciation for that particular day. You said recently that Rebecca Black had ruined Friday for all future songwriters; turns out that’s not quite true because this song has all the marking of a fairly decent pop song.

Tom: It does – as soon as they started the sort-of-rap part, I started thinking of what 5ive might be bringing out if they were still around.

Tim: The rap/pop thing is interesting, in that it’s not really been done at all since, like you said, 5ive, way back when and pre-Big Reunion. Still works, though, so good work to them for trying to bring it back.

Tom: I briefly thought that The Fooo seemed a bit more aimed at kids than 5ive were, I then remembered that I’m older now and they’re probably about the same.

Tim: It’s catchy, it’s upbeat, and admittedly they’re probably singing more from the “we don’t have to go to school tomorrow” area than the “we don’t have to go to work tomorrow” one, but who cares? It’s a very enjoyable message which, well, a good 70% of the population can probably get behind. And if you can get that number on your side you can pretty much do what you want. World domination lies ahead. Or perhaps not. Probably not, really, because they’re a slightly above average Swedish boyband and not Richard III, but anyway, I’m drifting. Good track, well done to all involved.

Man Meadow – Kill The Dance Floor

“We are IN OUR PANTS.”

Tim: You may well not have heard of this Swedish duo; that’s entirely understandable as they’ve done five track in five years, and two of those were unsuccessful entries for Poland’s Eurovision selection competition (nope, me neither). For they’re sixth venture, they’re following in Cascada’s footsteps with a dance tune with an idiotic title.

Tom: Evacuate the dance floor, kill the dance floor: what’s next? Oh. Never mind.

Tim: Ah. See, I’d have gone for the final stage, but I think we’ve wandered off course somewhat.

Tom: “LOOK AT US”, says that video. “We are IN OUR PANTS.”

Tim: Yes…

Tom: And before anyone mentions it, I’d make similar comments about gratuitous titillation of any gender. And besides, even I have to admit the floppy-haired one has something going for him. Anyway! The music.

Tim: Many people, myself included at times, are starting to get annoyed with EDM as a genre, accusing it of taking over music with all sorts of generic, dull and lazy sounds, and at times (such as one particular Melodifestivalen heat this year) that’s justified.

Tom: That’s true: but any genre can have its dull and lazy tracks.

Tim: Other times, though, especially off-season for the style such as now, they can be enjoyed sperately, appreciating the fact that not only is it an above average and very danceable track, but also smaller things like how we have a video not focusing solely on girls in bikinis. I’m very happy with this.

Tom: I thought you might be.

Ida Wiklund – Kom Tillbaka

“There’s something just beautiful.”

Tim: It’s songs like this that really make me wish I knew a good amount of Swedish.

Tim: Because my word, what a song. Right from the off we have cracking background instrumentation, and when the vocal kicks the quality shoots right up even higher.

Tom: Quite — although I wasn’t sold on it until that first chorus hit. There’s something just beautiful about the start of that chorus. It’s happy, it’s friendly, and it’s surprisingly summery in the middle of a cold snap.

Tim: But dammit, what is she singing? There’s clearly a lot of emotion in that energetic singing, and I just know my enjoyment would be heightened by understanding what it is she’s singing. On the other hand, my enjoyment is already pretty high up, and I still leant to listen to this track over and over again; I just wish I could get even more out of it.

Tom: So… learn Swedish?

Tim: Yes, I suppose I’ve no-one but myself to blame – my sister even got me a Teach Yourself Swedish thing for my birthday last summer and I’ve barely opened it, so damn me and my laziness, because I want more from this.

Scotts – Hurt

“Jolly, danceable and just generally fun”

Tim: Fancy some dansband?

Tom: Almost always.

Tim: What a fun track.

Tom: Unexpectedly, there’s a lot of dans and not a lot of band there. I like that, but are you sure this qualifies as dansband?

Tim: Yes – definable instruments in there, and that’s what they call it so it’s good enough for me, as is the track. Well, pretty much – the music’s good, and the lyrics are good if you (a) don’t listen to them at all or (b) listen to them carefully. If you just listen to the chorus, all you’ll hear is ‘yes it hurts’, ‘it will hurt’ and ‘it will hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt’, which let’s be honest isn’t all that fun. But, pay more attention and you’ll find it’s all about how things will finally come together despite occasional missteps, so it’s all fine.

Tom: And I’m all in favour of that as a message.

Tim: Good. The backing track, as with a whole lot of dansband stuff, is jolly, danceable and just generally fun (and I’ve now used the word ‘fun’ three times; not sure if that says more about the song or my vocabulary).

Tom: Probably your vocabulary. You’re right, though.

Tim: All in all, a solid, enjoyable track. Sod it, one more time: fun.

Hmm. You know how you use one word a load of times and it starts being weird?

Tom: “Semantic satiation“, which is a weird term in itself.

Orion – Beginning of My Heartbreak

“For your delectation, a cracking synth tune.”

Tim: For your delectation, a cracking synth tune.

https://soundcloud.com/oriononline/beginning-of-my-heartbreak

Tom: Crikey, that’s good.

Tim: Or, to put it more precisely, a cracking synth tune somewhat in need of a vocal. Last time we looked at Orion, I wanted an instrumental version; now, I want a vocal on this.

Don’t get me wrong – as a synth line, it’s good. It’s very good indeed. But it’s a backing track. That build and then release at around 2:30? Great, but imagine how much better it would with someone singing their heart out on top of that.

Tom: Now, I was all set to disagree with you during the first minute of the track, but you’re right: there’s not enough variety in here (let’s face it, the melody is pretty simplistic) to sustain four and a half minutes.

Tim: In the SoundCloud comments, it’s been compared to various tracks by Vangelis (composer of, amongst others, Chariots of Fire and the phenomenal Conquest of Paradise, though that one’s nothing like this track). That’s not remotely unfair, as there are a lot of similar elements, but part of me thinks that there’s still room for more.

Of course, I could be wrong – maybe there’ll be a release with words stuck on the top and it’ll sound awful, in which case I’d be begging for this back again. Either way, as the composerer, Orion has done a fantastic job, and if there’s a singer out there he fancies teaming up with, why not give it a go?

Saturday Flashback: Busted – Thunderbirds Are Go

“A very very very decent track to leave by.”

Tim: I’ve just got tickets to see McBusted next April, and I am VERY EXCITED.

Tom: I passed on it — but I’ll be honest, this song almost made me reconsider.

Tim: Well then, let’s have a flashback, shall we?

Tim: Now, whatever you may have though about the film (and let’s face it, anyone who saw it probably didn’t think much of it), it’s hard to deny that this was a cracking track to go with it, and, as it turned out, a very very very decent track to leave by. Number 1, Record of the Year, and all sorts like that.

Tom: Yep. It’s a terrible film, which is a shame because — given an actual decent script — it could have been really good. They’re rebooting the TV series for 2015, and I’m interested to see what they can do with modern CGI updating those old puppet effects.

Tim: Musically it’s pretty good, with the reworking of the original theme tune into the intro and backing, beneath what’s basically just a good Busted track. Lyrically, though, it’s genius – the ‘no strings to hold them down’ metaphor quite possibly unrivalled in, ooh, at least that week, and maybe even the month.

Tom: Damning with faint praise, but you’re right: I remember playing this, many years ago on university radio, and having the folks who were all ‘oh no, it’s Busted’ start harmonising on that glorious ‘island’ call-and-response. It’s catchy.

Tim: That bit in particular is indeed GREAT. Moving on to that video, two things spring to mind: first, even at the age of twenty I can kind of understand why Charlie felt it was time to grow up just a bit, and second, some of the expressions on their faces really do make them look like a early version of Jedward. That probably sounds like an insult; I don’t mean it that way. (Although admittedly now I’ve typed it it’s hard to see how it could have come across as a compliment. Oh well.) Anyway, crap film, fun video, great track, sorted.

Cars & Calories – Here

“It’s like Owl City grew up a bit.”

Tim: You may or may not remember the very very good Runner Up from about six weeks back; if you don’t, have a listen to it later. First, though, listen to this.

https://soundcloud.com/blingbling-5/cars-calories-here-1

Tom: Oh blimey, that’s excellent. It’s like Owl City grew up a bit.

Tim: Here, we’re getting more of the same punk/rock-influenced electropop that we heard last time – the vocals could come from any modern electro track, but then some of the instrumentation in the chorus could be a late-90s punk group.

Tom: Agreed: and it’s a brilliant tune as well.

Tim: It’s a combination that, once again, works brilliantly. Lyrics are happily pleasant as well, so all round I’ve got no reason at all to dislike it. Top work, folks.

One Louder – Fashionably Late

“I can’t help but think that we’re in the middle of a 90s ballad revival.”

Tim: This arrived in our inbox last week; it’s a new pop duo from Finland comprising Leah and Johanna. I’d like to tell you more, but the Facebook page is low on details. But have a listen, as the music’s what it’s all about really.

Tim: This is lovely stuff, and is sort of reminiscent of all sorts of things.

Tom: Between this and the duet on Tuesday, I can’t help but think that we’re suddenly in the middle of a 90s ballad revival. I mean, this could’ve been a B*Witched album track. What does it remind you of?

Tim: Nothing in particular, although I’m struck by a slight similarity to Minnie-Oh, of Step Up and You & I notability, at the beginning of the chorus; that’s definitely a compliment, because those were two of the best tracks we had in their respective years so good stuff there.

Tom: It is, but it’s good to the standards of fifteen years ago, and I can’t help but feel that it needs something… more. Can I work out what that is, though? Can I bollocks.

Tim: To be honest, I don’t think I can criticise this at all – the backing music’s lovely and relaxing during the verses, but entirely not in a boring way, and the vocals match up excellently for a nice tune that, when it comes down to it, is basically just good pop.

Lily Allen – Hard Out Here

“Is the music any good?”

Tom: If the big “Explicit Content” doesn’t tip you off: this isn’t suitable for kids.

Tom: “Don’t need to shake my arse for you ‘cos I’ve got a brain”, she says, shaking her arse. Is it possible to be ironically doing something without, you know, actually doing it?

Tim: That’s kind of what I thought – sure, it might be ‘ironic’, but it’s still there and if you’re ostensibly trying to protest about it why do it at all? But I suppose if you weren’t doing it you wouldn’t be able to smoke E-Lite electronic cigarettes so seductively.

Tom: So leaving aside the issues in the video, ‘cos heaven knows everyone’ll be debating them for untold weeks until the next controversial video comes along: is the music any good?

Tim: Erm, well…not so much for me, no.

Tom: The production’s brilliant. The instrumental’s great. But the lyrics? The middle eight that just samples of the word ‘bitch’ – badly? The terrible autotune? No doubt the latter’s for effect, given what she’s taking aim at, but that doesn’t make it any better.

Tim: Yeah – it’s back with the arse-shaking, as thought she wants it to be a talking point. Which is sort of okay, but maybe don’t embrace it quite so thoroughly?

Jill Johnson & Helena Paparizou – Enough

“It’s like the 90s returned, and Shania Twain’s still at the top.”

Tom: “Jill Johnson and Papa Lazarou”?

Tim: Close, but no creepy-voiced cigar I’m afraid. Jill Johnson, if you don’t know, is a Swedish singer who’s been going for nigh on two decades, and who in true Rihanna style has released an album pretty much every autumn for the past ten years, as has invariably landed in the top 5. This time it’s all about duets, and the lead single is with Helena, who I’m sure you’ll remember from her 2005 Greek Eurovision entry we wrote about a couple of years back.

Tim: That’s a good ballad, isn’t it?

Tom: It’s like the 90s returned, and Shania Twain’s still at the top of the charts.

Tim: Great overtones of it, yes. Now I think about it, it’s been a good year for duets, or at least the ones we’ve had have all hit the mark – Cardle & C, Fältzkog & Barlow (and that’s a department store chain in waiting) and now this.

Tom: Complete with cracking key change and electric guitar outro. It really is about fifteen years too late.

Tim: It could easily be sung as a solo track, and it would still be impressive, but the two working together really work up the drama of what a twat this guy they’re both dating must be – I don’t know if it is the same guy, but it would certainly explain why he’s always ‘working late’.

Tom: Ha. That’s a brilliant idea.

Tim: Actually, playing with that idea as I am wont to do, I know exactly how I’d like the video for this to be – two of them walking separately along two streets, cutting between them as they sing with occasional shots of him waiting outside a restaurant for a date, and then, come the key change, they both arrive from opposite directions, we have the three of them in the same shot and IT ALL KICKS OFF. That’d be marvellous.

Tom: Ideally, with the music coming to a grinding stop, and the man trying to stumble through some sort of explanation.

Tim: Exactly. Can we do that, please?