Saturday Reject: Chris Medina – We Try

“It makes no sense. Absolutely no sense at all.”

Tim: Norway has a flipping brilliant final this year, with a lot of highlights, but sadly we’ve only got time for a few. Let’s start with a hypothetical, though: if you’ve got a song with a piano intro that you’re ‘playing’ and then a big drop, at what point do you, the performer, get up from the piano and start moving around? I ask because, well, I’m fairly surely the answer is ‘much, much sooner than Chris does’.

Tim: Let’s note that even at the start of the pre-chorus he has mostly revealed, with his fist pump, that he’s not actually playing, and that at the beginning of the chorus he almost stands up, giving the game away completely.

Tom: It’s not even a decent piano synth! If it was meant to sound like a grand piano, then maybe all this would make sense: but it just doesn’t. It’s as bad as if he were just noodling aimlessly on a guitar. But he just keeps going!

Tim: So if he’s hanging around still past then, the logical thing would be to stay there until either a big break – middle eight, say, or final chorus – or for the whole song. Not – entirely not – for the barely notable jump into the second pre-chorus. And why, why oh why oh why, would you then return to the piano for the outro? It makes no sense. Absolutely no sense at all.

Tom: I mean, none of this does. The dancers don’t make sense either. And neither does that slightly-wavy falsetto.

Tim: Spoils a somewhat decent Eurovision dance song, really. Eh, well.

The Veronicas – Think Of Me

“The vocals, the composition, the production: everything works.”

Tom: They’re still a thing!

Tim: Yep, they’re still a thing, and this has an interesting lyric in the pre-chorus.

Tom: And an interesting theme, given that it’s about the fallout from a toxic relationship. There’s a complicated tone there, and I really like it.

Tim: Good, isn’t it? Though, speaking of the lyrics, part of me wants to overanalyse them and say ACTUALLY given that that pre-chorus occurs several times over the course of several minutes, that 42 seconds should dramatically increase by the end of it, but I though no, can’t be bothered, because (a) the ‘give you head’ lyric outdoes any harm done by that and (b) it’s a great track and I don’t want to waste time being petty when I can instead properly just enjoy it and be positive about it.

Tom: There’s so much to like here. I was surprised the first time I heard the chorus — I wan’t expecting that much electropop — but once that settled in, damn, this is good. The vocals, the composition, the production: everything works. Except possibly that middle eight, but I can forgive it: like you say, it’s a song I want to be positive about.

Tim: Because damn, I know they were fairly decent back in the day, but this is better than any Veronicas track has a right to be these days. I’d go so far as to say, in fact, that it’s flipping marvellous!

Isa Molin – Scared Holding On To You

“The best pre-chorus I’ve heard in a long while.”

Tim: We’ve never featured this Isa before: she’s Swedish, this is her second track and it was written by her and former Eurovision star Robin Stjernberg. Have a listen.

Tom: Ooh, those dubstep-lite synths in the background are lovely. And when they drop out, they’re replaced by the best pre-chorus I’ve heard in a long while: I know I’m a sucker for that particular type of melody and chord progression, but it’s also done so well here.

Tim: Now it’s good you say that, because full disclosure: I got distracted a few seconds after pressing play on this, not because it was dull but because I found out tickets for Avengers: Endgame had just gone on sale, and the Cineworld website was very, very overloaded (but in the end I got a ticket for a midnight showing so THANK GOODNESS) but anyway it wasn’t until the second chorus that I was back paying attention to this.

Tom: Well, then you missed the good bits! Because I’m not sure about that chorus at all. What did you reckon, when you were back in the room?

Tim: I realised it was pretty good. Well, loud, and that’s often a decent basis to start, and then you throw in a decent melody, which you’re very much getting in the middle eight (and pre-chorus, it turned out, as I listened again).

Tom: See? That’s the best bit!

Tim: It really is. So in total yes, actually, it is pretty good. That sums it up nicely.

Westlife – Better Man

“It’s not often I want to skip back twenty seconds just to check that I actually did hear what I think I heard.”

Tim: Most of the time here, we like to feature tracks we enjoy. Often, though, they might not be all that great (in some cases they’re downright awful), but nonetheless fun to talk about. Now, I not saying I don’t enjoy this track, as it’s alright, but boy is there one particular thing worth mentioning.

Tom: The line “I felt things when we were naked”? The acting at the start, where it’s clearly not a proper recording session? Although that’s really quite nicely resolved with the outtake at the end.

Tim: Possibly worth a mention, yes, but not the main thing. Because it’s not often I want to skip back twenty seconds just to check that I actually did hear what I think I heard, but here, I genuinely did. That key change is just obscene.

Tom: I’m just annoyed that the childhood nostalgia flashbacks are the right years for my own childhood now.

Tim: Speak for yourself, I’ve got a good few years left, and I’m already enjoying it.

Georgia – About Work The Dancefloor

“Arpeggiators set to maximum, captain.”

Tim: Second release off a new UK act, presumably taking advantage of the fact that CHVRCHES are off a bit making new music, and taking that opportunity to carve out a place for herself.

Tom: That’s the least grammatical title I’ve seen in a while.

Tim: Oh, hush.

Tom: Yesterday, we talked about the start of the upcoming 90s revival; this sounds like some of the last parts of the 80s revival. Arpeggiators set to maximum, captain.

Tim: Up until the chorus came along I was very “yep, okay, standard, this’ll do”, but THEN. The chorus arrives, the song jumps up a notch or twenty, and suddenly there’s something very definitely worth listening to that I like a lot.

Tom: Really? I just don’t like that vocoder: she’s got a great voice, but mangled through that effect it grates for me. Which is a shame, because the rest of it’s really quite nice.

Tim: Hmm, see, I first heard that vocoder as a featured male vocal, which made it work fine for me. The production’s lovely, her vocals throughout are great (particularly in, of all places, that very last line, which has a lovely melody), ad then yep, there’s that great chorus. And a disco house on fire in the video, what’s not to like?

Europa with Madison Beer – All Day And Night

“Mesdames, Messieurs, le disc-jockey Sash! est de retour.”

Tim: Europa, a new project comprising Jax Jones and Martin Solveig, and I think this is the first time we’ve ever had a ‘with’ for a featured artist. How exciting!

Tom: “Mesdames, Messieurs, le disc-jockey Sash! est de retour.” Not quite, of course, but those synth patches are at least an homage.

Tim: Absolutely. It doesn’t sound anything like a standard Martin Solveig track, doesn’t sound anything like a regular Jax Jones track either, which I guess is the point of creating a whole new brand. We’ve a bit more of a RAVE vibe to it, and it’s been a good fifteen years or so since that’s been a thing and I’m pretty happy to see it back to be honest.

Tom: Nostalgia tends to run on a thirty-year cycle, which means it’s about time for it to ramp up into our own childhoods, Tim. Updated versions of 90s rave culture is going to be the sound of the next few years, and this is part of the vanguard. I’d say “expect Clubland Classix to put out another compilation” but they’ve never really stopped.

Tim: True, I suppose. Whether we do indeed have a full revival coming remains to be seen – maybe we will have a new Sash! and a new Faithless. In the meantime, let’s enjoy this, and start hoping.

Saturday Reject: Dolly Style – Habibi

“Most of what I want in a Eurovision selection show from a song that’s never going to win anyway.”

Tim: It’s four years since Dolly Style launched themselves with Melodifestivalen’s help, and we’re now our our second Holly, second Molly and fourth Polly, and our third attempt at Eurovision.

Tom: I’ve got to admit I respect the producer’s persistence. The characters are more important than the people playing them: it’s an odd strategy, but apparently it works.

Tim: Did it matter that Molly’s vocals sounded a bit shaky? Hmm, probably not, because let’s face it anyone who got turned off by that would have been even more turned off when it looked like the creepy CG one was singing a vocal sample, or indeed as soon as the hosts said the words Dolly Style.

Tom: Yep. The lyrics are terrible, the song is forgettable, and… well, yes, I respect the persistence but not much else.

Tim: I don’t know, I’d say it’s fun and catchy, and really that’s most of what I want in a Eurovision selection show from a song that’s never going to win anyway. It’s filler, and it’s fun filler.

Mike Perry, Sonic Avenue & Hot Shade feat. Mikayla – Closer

“It deserves more than being cut short after less two and half minutes.”

Tim: You ever wondered what might happen if Alan Walker got his hands on a ballad? I’m guessing something like this.

Tim: And oh, damn, do I want more of that.

Tom: That’s such a good introduction and first verse — and you’re absolutely right, that chorus sounds a lot like Alan Walker’s style. Or, rather, Alan Walker’s style back when it was new and exciting. (Harsh, I know, but I really didn’t get that track you sent over a few days ago.)

Tim: Fair enough, as I’m not sure even I’d describe it as new and exciting – it’s just, there. Or, indeed, here.

Tom: You said you want more, though?

Tim: Correct. I’ve moaned more than enough previously about middle eights going away, but those very last seconds made me think we going in for a lovely new stringy melody for twenty seconds or so, perhaps repeating for another twenty with a good beat on top of it, before coming back for one final triumphant chorus. As it is…nope. Damn you, Mike, Sonic and Hot. Damn you all, because that’s a great track and it deserves more than being cut short after less two and half minutes.

Tom: Streaming is making music shorter, it seems.

Tim: True, and I guess a song that never properly resolves is that much more likely to be repeated. It’s a great vocal, a nice melody and a bloody fantastic dance section. I WANT MORE.

Ben Zucker – Wer sagt das?!

“Who say we can’t trust our luck, who says we can’t give it a go, who says anything?!”

Tim: Sit back and relax, because it’s HUSKY MALE GERMAN time. His first album was called Na und?! Sonne! (So what?! Sun!),and here’s the title track from his upcoming second, translated as Who Says That?! Do you think there’s a pattern emerging?!

Tom: I don’t know, maybe?!?! But it’s always a good sign when you send me a video from this channel, because it’s almost certainly some Quality Schlager.

Tom: The track record stands! And you’re right, that’s the sort of HUSKY MALE GERMAN vocals that don’t seem to work for any other country. And which always seem like they should be hurting his throat.

Tim: Upsettingly, the lyrics don’t involve him taking apart his ex’s rejection message line by line and pointing out nonsensical bits in it, or breaking up with someone because they’ve just started spewing rubbish, as both of those could be entertaining! Instead, it’s a heartwarming hopeful number – who say we can’t trust our luck, who says we can’t give it a go, who says anything?!

Tom: I mean, at least the words match the style for once.

Tim: But let’s move on from the lyrics, because that music’s great isn’t it?! Beefy, bolshy, rock with a slight dancey twist which I’m all here for!

Tom: Yeah, I genuinely like this, although I am worried about quite how much you’ve been infected by the enthusiastic punctuation marks. It’s catchy and memorable.

Tim: It’s unusual for me to get a foreign language track stuck in my head after just a couple of listens, but this has done it! And yes, I seem to be infected! Isn’t it worrying?!

Alan Walker, Sabrina Carpenter & Farruko – On My Way

“I do kind of think someone needs to take him aside and give him a quick ‘mate, just take a step back’.”

Tim: New Alan! Already moved on from the album he released three months back, and according to the video description this marks “the start of a whole new journey that I can’t wait to share with you all.” Not entirely sure about that, though, with the video anyway…

Tim: Now, far be it from me to malign Alan here, but I do kind of think someone needs to take him aside and give him a quick “mate, just take a step back”. Because, man does he have a thing about that logo.

Tom: Exactly what I was thinking. I’ve seen some self-aggrandising music videos before, but honestly making your own brand the centre of a vast conspiracy through time might beat them all.

Tim: Let’s not forget that in his previous trilogy, we saw rock versions of it flying around to defeat one side of a cult war, but now apparently ancient civilisations used to worship it, though evidence is only observable via a weird time portal which, yep, is also in the shape of him. I guess it’s nice to have a theme and everything, but it does seem to suggest a somewhat extreme level of self-importance. Having said all that, if he’s making music this listenable, I’m happy to let him carry on.

Tom: Huh – I had a very different reaction, which was, in short: even a video as well-produced as this can’t make the song interesting. I could hum the chorus after it finished, which is usually a good sign — but in this case, I just didn’t want to.

Tim: Oh, shame – I love that pre-chorus melody, and the dance melody itself I also find great. Sure, I could do with Farruko, but aside from him I’m all in with this. Just, yeah, maybe calm down a bit, mate.