Tim: You know, I had a listen to the A-Teens cover so I could try to comedically defend it. But no, I really can’t. I will happily take that Ravers Choice version, though.
Tom: And Zayn…
Tom: Zayn can, quite frankly, do one.
Tim: Yeah – and I’m suddenly thinking quite favourably about A-Teens.
Tom: I listened to the intro of that, and thought “where have I heard that before”? The answer: this exact song, which has dredged up a huge amount of memories from when I was a teenager. (Also, a load of other places, because that’s a really obvious chord progression, but still.)
Tim: So I’ve Shazammed this twice in the past fortnight, partly because I’m forgetful, but also because it’s somehow ended up on the list of tracks that my work’s HomePod thinks we all really enjoy so plays it a LOT, and I LOVE THAT.
Tom: I haven’t heard any happy hardcore tracks in so long, and I think it’s going to be the soundtrack for my entire workday today.
Tim: Aw, good good. It never really troubled the charts over here, though it hit number 2 there on its 2002 re-release, so it’s not all bad news. I think, for me, it’s the delightful mix of ludicrous beats with an attempt at meaningful lyrics that I love so much, and the backing choir of kids at the end is the wonderful cherry on top. I could RAVE ALL NIGHT to it, and to be honest I would really quite like to.
Tom: Someone’s got to be doing retro raves these days, surely?
Tim: You’d think, wouldn’t you? But I honestly can’t find anything. I’ll let you know, though.
“BANGER. Or, if we’re being honest, BANGER AND A HALF.”
Tim: Advance notice for our reader: tomorrow’s flashback is a PROPER TUNE and I was having trouble finding anything from the standard Scandinavian area that didn’t sound complete bobbins in comparison. So, I turned to Germany, and, well:
Tom: Ha! That is the most schlagery first verse I’ve heard in a while. Possibly since the last time we talked about Matthias Reim. And happily, the first verse led exactly where I expected.
Tim: BANGER. Or, if we’re being honest, BANGER AND A HALF, from two people who, despite the ambiguous crediting, aren’t actually siblings.
Tom: I know it’d be terrible if all songs were like this, Tim, but sometimes I can’t help feeling that pop music peaked with this genre.
Tim: It is a fantastic genre, isn’t it? Lyrics are basically that he/she doesn’t deserve you, so get with me because I totally do deserve you. I don’t *think* they’re singing at each other, because with that enthusiasm you’d think they’d hear each other, bin off their currents and mash their faces together.
Tom: Perhaps that growled “Baby komm zurück!” that leads out of the middle eight put her off a bit. Honestly, that nearly gets into Bloke From Aqua territory.
Tim: René, and I suppose that’s a possibility. Maybe they’re both singing at the same person, who’s simultaneously with two other people, with them trying to break up one threesome to form another? Or, and here’s a crazy thought, maybe some lyrics don’t really work as duets. Of course, all that only matters if you try to put way too much effort into analysing them, and who on Earth would possibly do that? Nope, let’s DANCE and DANCE and DANCE AGAIN. Because that, I think, is really the true message of this song.
Tim: Not the likeliest of bedfellows, no, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. An open mind, then, please, as we delve right in.
Tom: That is exactly what I expected.
Tim: Isn’t it just? For better or worse, you generally know what you’re going to get with a Kygo track: largely unremarkable verse, fairly invigorating chorus and a post-chorus that’s heavy on the marimbas, and if you’re lucky you might get a middle eight. Here, well, we’ve no real middle eight to speak of, but the rest of it all passes with flying colours.
Tom: There’s even a vague hint of a string section here and there. I’ve got to say that the “you, ooh-ooh” really doesn’t work for me — it doesn’t kill the entire track, and I’ve grown to like odd features of Imagine Dragons songs before, but it does grate.
Tim: Huh, I don’t actually mind that at all. And while the verse might still be unremarkable, the chorus is well on the way to being very good, and those instrumentals have a decent melody. Well, I’m fairly sure they do – to be honest, I’ve played it three times now while writing this and I’m still not sure I could reliably remember it, but I do enjoy it whenever it comes round. And that’s kind of what counts, right?
“Whether you like it comes down, largely, to whether or not you like that post-chorus vocal.”
Tim: First unveiled in Sweden six months ago, but only now getting some international traction, most likely due to its summery and rather coconutty vibe. Added to that: a music video. This one, in fact.
Tim: Not a hugely exciting video, perhaps, but it’s nice to see a fair bit of effort nonetheless.
Tom: I mean, it’s not a hugely exciting track, either, is it?
Tim: I’m fairly sure that whether you like it comes down, largely, to whether or not you like that post-chorus vocal.
Tom: I have a suspicion that this might be a grower: there are a lot of good elements in here, and by the end of a first listen I’d got over a couple of my initial objections.
I still think it’s a bit dull, but then by the time of the build back from the middle eight I’d started to like it. Still not convinced about that vocal, or the chorus, or any bit of it other than the production, though.
Tim: I’ve grown to like it quite a lot, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve heard it a lot, both on the radio and as scene-setting music in summery TV shows. It fits nicely, really – fairly gentle, fairly laid back, perfectly for lazing around in the sun and not doing much to.
Of course, it’ll probably be around for ages, and still be getting played four months from now when it’s pouring with rain and not even slightly appropriate, but for the next month or so at least, it’s good. Really good.
Tim: I’ve no idea who the male vocalist is, and there doesn’t seem to be any information anywhere about him, but never mind. Don’t let him put you off, though, because part of this song is amazing.
Tom: Well, that’s full pineapple from the start, isn’t it? I’m not sure they actually hired a male vocalist, I think they just got some stock samples of someone yelling “BABY GIRL”, “HEY” and “LET’S GO” loudly and stuck them in.
Tim: You know, that actually wouldn’t remotely surprise me.
Tom: What’s the amazing bit for you, then?
Tim: Well that would be the chorus.
Tom: Really?
Tim: The chorus is great, and the post-chorus. The verses I can take or leave, the pre-chorus is pretty good, but damn that’s a good chorus. “Done, done, baby we are done do-one, baby we are done done done” may not be the most creative lyric ever written, but the presentation of it is joyous, and really, really gets me going. I don’t know if I’m just in the mood for this sort of track today and I might not like it as much tomorrow.
Tom: I have a sneaking suspicion that’s true. It’s not a great lyric or composition, and that whistle sample is bloody awful.
Tim: Even if that’s the case, though, that particular bit strikes me as like the “who wakes you up to drive you home” pre-chorus in It Ain’t Me: a really, really good bit that immediately raises a track’s score by at least 20%. Right now, I like this a lot.
“This had charmed me by the end of the introduction.”
Tim: Somehow, she’s still getting away with using Wonder Woman’s symbol as a logo; I’m not complaining, though, when the music’s this good.
Tom: Maybe I’m just in a really good mood or something, Tim, but this had charmed me by the end of the introduction.
Tim: Perfect memories are nice things when they come along, aren’t they? Probably aren’t many of them, but you look back every now and again, and you think, “yep, that time was good, and I would change nothing about it.”
I’ve got a few I can think of off the top of my head, and I’m fairly sure that if I had a voice that could even slightly hold a tune, and someone came along and said “I’ve written a song about them, fancy singing it?”, I’d be “hell yeah”, and I’d hope it could sound this great.
Tom: Each bit of this is individually… pleasant, I guess, is the word for it. At least until the first half of the middle eight, which doesn’t work for me, and actually, that “perfect memory” end to the chorus doesn’t work either. Augh. Okay, before I talk myself out of liking this, yes, it’ll do, it’s fun enough. Like you said, it sounds great.
Tim: I mean, it has to sound great, really, because that title’s a lot to live up to. But it does – it’s happy, it’s loud, it’s summery, and basically it’s a bloody brilliant pop song. Nice one.
“Presumably taking inspiration from Scooter’s Back In The UK.”
Tim: Why? Because I heard a sample of it on an advert of a Ministry of Sound compilation CD, and remembered it’s bloody brilliant.
Tim: Also, musical education time: the foreign language vocal is a sample from a TV show theme tune, with Chicane presumably taking inspiration from Scooter’s Back In The UK.
Tom: I don’t think… you know what, sure, yes, okay, fine, let’s go with that.
Tim: The show in this case was Harry’s Game, a drama about Northern Ireland in the 1980s…
Tom: Yes! And if their sound is familiar, it’s because Enya was part of their group until she went solo.
Tim: When the theme was released as a single itself in 1982 it became (and remains) the only song ever to have charted in the UK sung entirely in Irish Gaelic. and was for several years the song that U2 closed every one of their live gigs with. TRUE STORY.
Tom: By which you mean they played it after the lights came up and the crowd were leaving. Bono didn’t suddenly go falsetto. Although that would’ve been great.
Tom: Dansband Friday! Seriously, it may not be cutting-edge pop, but when you send over something like this, it’s generally going to make me smile.
Tim: For a good week or so after it was released, this Swedish band’s song didn’t appear on YouTube; I gave it one last search yesterday and now it’s turned up! I put an exclamation mark there because, despite it starting out with a twanging banjo, it’s something to celebrate!
Tom: I’m glad you warned me about the banjo. That managed my expectations nicely, so I was pleasantly surprised when the guitars kicked in. Sometimes uncomplicated, by-the-numbers music like this can just be… nice, y’know?
Tim: I’m not sure which way round it is, singer or recipient – tediously, the lyrics don’t seem to be online anywhere – but it’s talking about one of them falling for the other, which funnily enough is exactly what Wes said to Laura on Love Isla–
Tom: NO.
Tim: Ugh, fine, but just know that Cupid hates you. Whatever the case, it’s sounding very, very good: I hardly need to tell you what my favourite part is (and oh, it works so so well), but even without that it’s top stuff. The verse is consistently above average, the pre-chorus ends with a perfect lead in to an even better chorus, with a fabulous hook and all backed up by great instrumentation (particular incredibly specific highlight: the descending electric guitar bit at 1:44).
Tom: It is absolutely unchallenging, it’s pleasant to listen to, and sometimes that’s all I need.
Tim: I loved this the first time I heard it; I still love it now six weeks on.
Tim: Astræa, Greek goddess of innocence, and stage name of a British singer who seems to have specialised in, erm, Lloyd’s Bank adverts. Here’s this, from the current one, and while I don’t normally have much time for John Lewis-ification of dance tracks, take a listen.
Tom: John Lewis-ification. You’re not wrong. I’m still frustrated that Calum Scott’s Dancing on my Own beat the original.
Tim: Ugh, please don’t remind me. I hope you’ll like this more.
Tim: I think it helps that the vocal in the original was already fairly understated, because rather pleasingly this doesn’t even slightly offend me.
Tom: You’re right: it almost feels like a remix (de-mix? unplugged?) rather than a cover version. This is reinterpreting a song done right. The string section helps, mind.
Tim: Right – when that beautiful, wonderful, lovely collection of violins explodes in for the chorus, the song reaches whole new heights, and I’m almost preferring it. Proof, as we suggested, that piano ballads can be absolutely fabulous, just as long as there’s a bit more than piano there. Which might ruin the name a bit, I don’t know. Either way, this is entirely delightful, and I adore it.
