1) CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xNuUEnh2g
Check back everyday this month for more festive hits!
1) CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JReg9mK1ixk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdowHf_sGI
Check back everyday this month for more festive hits!
1) George Michael – Edith & The King Pin
Gorgeous jazz cover of Joni Mitchell’s 1975 ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’ album. George has always produced wonderful covers and this is no exception.
2) Anastacia – Left Outside Alone
Killer pop-rock track released eleven years ago (I know, I can’t quite believe it either!) Co-written by Anastacia with hit songwriters Dallas Austin and Glen Ballard, this was a huge pop hit upon release and remains a brilliant song.
3) Anastacia – You’ll Never Be Alone
Lovely, if slightly slushy, pop ballad by Anastacia. She truly is one of the most underrated pop acts in the world. What a voice!
4) Anastacia – Take This Chance
Uplifting and inspiring new track from Anastacia’s Greatest Hits compilation album. She’s still got it! Awesome song.
5) Carly Rae Jepsen – Tell Me
Carly Rae Jepsen’s debut album did not receive much attention upon release. I only came across it this week and fell in love. It’s different to the stuff she’s become well-known but each song is hugely enjoyable. This is a great acoustic-based ballad.
6) Carly Rae Jepsen – Sunshine on my shoulders
Lovely and relaxing cover of the John Denver track.
7) Carly Rae Jepsen – Worldly Matters
Another acoustic based pop track. The entire album is a hugely enjoyable listen – full of sunny & chirpy pop tracks.
8) Coldplay – Everglow
Classic Coldplay ballad but with greater electro elements. This is a promotional track for the band’s upcoming ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ album.
9) The 1975 – The Sound (Live)
MY GOD THIS IS GOOD.
Catchy as hell. I am SO ready for this next album.
10) The 1975 – Somebody Else (Live)
Cartchy 80’s-esque indie-pop track comprised of broken vocal samples, funky bass lines and slamming percussion. The 1975 at their best and a teasing insight into how the new album is going to sound.
1) Troye Sivan – Wild
Incredibly catchy synthpop track featuring eerie electro elements and crashing percussion.
2) Troye Sivan ft. Broods – Ease
Another brilliant and sincere track from Troye Sivan.
3) Lucy Rose – Till The End
Strong 90’s vibes on this incessantly catchy track. Mirroring All Saints’ ‘Pure Shores’ with distorted trip-hop styled percussion, pretty piano riffs and funky guitars, it’s an awesome & uplifting track.
4) Jason Reeves – Back With Me
Gorgeous acoustic ballad.
5) Crissi Cochrane – Pretty Words
Gorgeous acoustic ballad with lovely Sara Bareillies/Christina Perri-like vocals.
6) Amelia Lily – You Bring Me Joy
Was reminded how awesome this track is at the gym the other day. Awesome and underrated pop-rock track.
7) Adele – When We Were Young
Gorgeous emotive ballad which completely blows ‘Hello’ out of the water.
8) Take That – Will You Be There For Me?
Gorgeous and vulnerable ballad from Take That’s re-packaged ‘III’ album. It carries an R&B-like vibe and is beautiful from start to finish.
9) Take That – Bird In Your Hand
Stunning synthpop ballad with lush layered harmonies and a gorgeous vocal performance from Mark Owen.
10) Troye Sivan – Fools
Brilliant pop track which opens tentatively with gorgeous piano chords before evolving into a jittery R&B track.
It’s been a long time since an album has been as highly anticipated as Adele’s ’25’. Her comeback after a three year hiatus (excluding the release of James Bond theme ‘Skyfall’) has exceeded the expectations of all; lead single ‘Hello’ smashed Vevo records for the most views in one day and launched straight to the top of singles charts all around the world. In the UK, it became the biggest selling Number One in three years. It’s fair to say Adele has become something of a global superstar since the release of previous album ’21’ and with the release of ’25’, it seems that she will remain that way.
’25’ is a conventional Adele album; a collection of emotive ballads which mourn the loss of ex-lovers, a carefree life and old friends. It doesn’t attempt anything too audacious and isn’t particularly innovative but it remains loyal to Adele’s signature sound and for that, it should be commended.
For the large part, Adele sticks rigidly to the formula of ’21’. ‘Hello’ is arguably the most dramatic track on the album and was wisely chosen as the lead single. As the album’s opening track, it’s well-placed and reintroduces Adkins back into the homes of the public. Similarly, ‘Remedy’ co-written by familiar collaborator Ryan Tedder, is a pretty and melodic ballad featuring nothing more than an exquisite piano riff and Adele’s soulful vocals. It’s a reinforcement that sometimes leaving a song in its most raw, organic form delivers the best results. ‘Love in the Dark’, one of the album’s stand-out moments, is also left well alone and is comprised of nothing but piano chords, sweeping strings and Adele’s vocals aching with sincerity. The powerful chorus is lush with orchestration and it’s a concrete reminder of what Adele does best. ‘All I Ask’ follows the same formula utilising pretty piano riffs as Adele begs her lover to leave her with a lasting memory before they officially end their relationship. Co-written by Bruno Mars and his frequent collaborators, Mars’ influence is clear – it doesn’t require much imagination to picture his vocals on it but Adele inevitably glistens on the track.
‘When We Were Young’ is another of the album’s highlights, a track so profound, it completely blows ‘Hello’ out of the water. The chord progression of the chorus rather bizarrely mirrors Razorlight’s ‘America’ in places but it’s a substantial, soulful ballad glowing with sincerity. Sombre but captivating ballad ‘Million Years Ago’ is another of the album’s highlights, utilising nothing but Spanish-sounding acoustic guitars and Adele pining for a return to simpler times. ‘I Miss You’ is darker in tone and is an eerie soul ballad featuring a jazz organ, echoing broken acapella vocals, Phil Collins styled drumming and moody piano chords.
At times, the album does attempt to break out of the mould Adele has created for herself. The sassy ‘Send My Love (To Your New Lover)’ refreshingly introduces funky acoustic guitar riffs into the fold and is relatively jovial compared to the rest of the album. Likewise, ‘Water Under the Bridge’ is a breezy pop track on which Greg Kurstin stamps his signature synthpop sound. It’s different to anything Adkins has ever released before, comprised of funky guitar riffs, reverberating vocals and crashing percussion but it remains loyal to her sound through its utilisation of rich gospel harmonies and unequivocal piano chords. It’s one of the best tracks of Adele’s career and is crying out for a single release. Gospel music is also the primary influence on ‘River Lea’, a soulful track featuring hand-clap percussion, rich layered vocals and jazzy organ chords. Closing track ‘Sweetest Devotion’ also attempts to lift spirits high and finishes the album on a more positive note. Weeping guitars, a piano riff and gentle guitar strums open the track before it evolves into an uplifting soul track. It’s clear the track has been written with loved ones in mind, most probably her son Angelo and it’s a fitting finale.
A safe but pleasing album which remains loyal to her much-loved sound.
’25’ is available now on XL Records.
If Simon Cowell was particularly apprehensive about Ben Haenow being declared the eleventh winner of the X Factor, he had every right to be. The alleged curse of male X Factor winner has been in full force since Series One winner Steve Brookstein’s refusal to be Cowell’s puppet and subsequent drop from Syco music. Since then, male winners have come and gone; Shayne Ward, Leon Jackson, Joe McElderry, Matt Cardle and James Arthur – all recipients of a fleeting moment of fame.
Still, it began promisingly for Ben Haenow. During his stint on the X Factor, the former white van driver was largely consistent, gaining the most votes in six out of the ten weeks. Début single was an enjoyable cover of OneRepublic’s ‘Something I Need’, a rousing pop-gospel anthem. It is largely this sound that Haenow has adopted for his début self-titled album but with varied results.
Lead single ‘Second Hand Heart’, a duet with US powerhouse singer Kelly Clarkson opens the album modestly. Whilst a pleasant pop track, it’s clear why Clarkson has been enlisted to lend her vocals to it. Without her sparkle, it’s unlikely the track would have charted at all (it reached a dispiriting #21 in the UK singles chart). ‘Slamming Doors’ and ‘Way Back When’ are mope-y ‘love is exhausting’ pop ballads whilst mediocre vocals let down saccharine piano ballad ‘Make it back to me’. ‘Start Again’ is an average arena pop-rock anthem featuring an easy sing-along chorus and it all gets overly-sentimental on ‘Brother’, a track about, well, you guessed it. It’s a generic pop-rock anthem but has a competent chorus.
There are some successes, however. ‘All Yours’ is Haenow’s Macy Gray moment, utilising R&B beats, a jazz organ and rich gospel choir vocals. Haenow’s vocals are sturdy and well-matched to the track. ‘Lions’ is a charming Ben Howard-esque ballad featuring folk acoustic guitars and a melodic chorus whilst ‘Something I Need’ is still a surprisingly enjoyable and substantial cover which closes the album beautifully.
The album’s triumph is ‘Testify’, a buoyant and rousing pop track which mirrors the pop-gospel synthesis found on ‘Something I Need’. Co-written by Daniel Bedingfield, it’s tight in production, catchy and optimistic, featuring gospel music-like piano chords, fierce percussion and of course a gospel choir.
The main issue is the album lacks any variation or diversity. It’s consistent in genre but is painfully dull aside from its pop-gospel moments. It’s the generic and conventional X Factor winner album, plastered from start to finish with a drab form of pop-rock. At times even Haenow sounds bored; it’s evident he’d much rather have created the rock album he’d always wanted to make.
A bland and uninspiring album which, had it developed the pop-gospel theme further, could have been infinitely better.
Ben Haenow is available now on RCA/Syco records.
1) Grimes, Bleachers – Entropy
Impossibly catchy indie-pop track on which American indie-pop band Bleachers team up with Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes. Minimalistic instrumentation is coated with Grimes’ syrupy and melodic vocals.
2) One Direction – End of the Day
Euphoric arena anthem which remains loyal to the boyband’s signature sound. Awesome track.
3) One Direction – Love You Goodbye
One Direction ballads are always exceptional and this is no exception. Taken from the band’s final (at least for now) album ‘Made in the A.M.’, this is emotive and heartfelt with catchy ‘hey, hey, hey’s’ and gorgeous weeping electric guitars. One of their best tracks.
4) One Direction – Long Way Down
Lovely, gentle acoustic-based track from ‘Made in the A.M.’ It’s one of the more reflective tracks and the Chorus is rather low-key but this is part of what makes it so endearing. In places it sounds rather like Lady Antebellum and these Country elements work beautifully.
5) One Direction – What a Feeling
One Direction channel Fleetwood Mac on this ’80’s synthpop-influenced pop track. It’s one of the stand-out moments from latest album ‘Made in the A.M’ with funky guitar riffs and gorgeous, rich layered harmonies.
6) Ben Haenow – All Yours
Brilliant euphoric pop from last year’s X Factor winner Ben Haenow.
7) Ben Haenow – Testify
Epic gospel-influenced track from Ben Haenow’s début album. The drum loop is fierce and the gospel choir adds an extra depth to the track. It’s the best track on the album and is crying out to be a single.
8) Ben Haenow – Greatest Mistake
One of the stronger tracks Ben Haenow’s début album. The Chorus is incredibly catchy and his raspy vocals sound fierce on it. Great track.
9) Justin Bieber – Company
Sultry and irresistibly catchy pop track with a funky bass line & elements of tropical house. Bieber at his best.
10) Justin Bieber – Been You
Bonus track on the deluxe version of Justin’s latest album ‘Purpose’. Incredibly catchy electropop-influenced track more than strong enough to have been included on the standard edition of the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Mi_wp3K3Q
Love or hate them, there is no denying One Direction’s footprint on and significance in Pop history. In a whirlwind five year career, they have won five Brit awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, cracked the U.S and smashed records all over the world. They have been without a doubt one of the most successful exports of the UK; the biggest band since The Beatles and Simon Cowell’s superlative product.
The release of fifth album ‘Made in the A.M.’ carries an assortment of emotions for a multitude of reasons. It’s the first without Zayn Malik since his departure earlier this year and it’s the band’s final album before their hiatus. Don’t be fooled into thinking the album has taken a slap-dash approach, however. It is quite the contrary; an enthralling amalgamation of tracks of different genres.
Overall, the album largely follows the same formula as previous One Direction albums. Songwriting duties are largely handed to long-term collaborators Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and Ed Drewett, with co-writing from all band members. Unlike previous albums, however, there is no material donated by superstar singer-songwriters. Members of McFly and Snow Patrol in addition to Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic & Ed Sheeran have all previously donated songs to the band but are noticeably absent from ‘Made in the A.M.’ Instead, the album is formed by a close-knit group of long-term One Direction songwriters.
Album opener ‘Hey Angel’ is a euphoric stadium-rock-influenced Pop track and is one of the best songs of One Direction’s career. It’s the band’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, comprised of rich orchestration, heavy stop-start percussion and is built around very few chords. ‘End of the Day’ captures similar levels of euphoria through an irresistible hand-clap Chorus. Lead single, The Police-influenced ‘Drag Me Down’ is still a powerful track with its funky reggae-styled bass riffs and its dubstep-informed chorus. Likewise, second single ‘Perfect’ is an emotive, anthemic track featuring reverberating sounds and punchy percussion whilst ‘Never Enough’ utilises a mesh of acapella vocals, a shuffling beat and Jack Johnson-like guitar strums before launching into a heavier chorus. Many elements are tossed into the mix including brass instruments, distorted synthesisers and Michael Jackson Dirty Diana-esque ‘Come on!’s’. ‘Olivia’ is another of the more enjoyable tracks from the album on which the One Direction lads have a whale of a time cramming as many syllables as possible into the verses. It’s the closest the band have come to imitating The Beatles musically and is effortlessly catchy. The band channel Fleetwood Mac on another of the album’s highlights ‘What a Feeling’, comprised of gorgeous layered harmonies and funky bass and guitar riffs. In fact, the band’s harmonies have never been cleaner and they play a significant role in the album’s success.
As always, the ballads form some of the album’s best moments. ‘If I Could Fly’ is a gentle ballad comprised of little more than a piano, cello and strings whilst ‘Infinity’ is a lovely rock-ballad which mimics Coldplay circa 2005, sounding uncannily like ‘Fix You’ during its explosive climax. The folk-infused ‘I Want to Write You a Song’ is beautifully simple and a lovely moment in the album. ‘Long Way Down’ is one of the album’s less commercial ballads but is a particular highlight. Led by gentle guitar strums, and Country-influenced wailing guitars with a low-key Chorus, it’s an exquisite addition to the album and is at times reminiscent of some of Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers’ best material in the late nineties. Another stand-out moment is found in ‘Love You Goodbye’, a track which opens tenderly with gentle piano chords & jittering synths before evolving into an emotive pop-rock ballad. It’s classic One Direction but captures far more maturity than their previous work. The weeping electric guitars which frame the second and third chorus is a beautiful addition and it is without a doubt one of One Direction’s best tracks.
Album closer ‘History’ is an enjoyable acoustic guitar-based track and whilst it rather bizarrely sounds like a Disney musical track, it closes ‘Made in the A.M.’ perfectly.
It’s clear the lads have used their influences and Pop heroes to shape the album. Michael Jackson, Jack Johnson, Coldplay, The Verve and Fleetwood Mac are just some of the artists mimicked but its this diverse range of influences which makes the album so rich in various genres.
The album is not quite as compelling as ‘Four’, but is a diverse and hugely enjoyable album nevertheless.
‘Made in the A.M.’ is available now on Columbia/Syco records.
Since his emergence in the early nineties, Seal has been on a musical roller-coaster passing through a series of hit and misses. The focus has seemingly always been on album content and album positions over hit singles (last Top 10 hit was signature track ‘Kiss From A Rose.’) Over the years this has become more and more the norm, particularly regarding older artists and acts. Still, it’s Seal’s forte – the ability to create polished albums with quality tracks from start to finish.
‘7’ is a return to Seal of the nineties and largely replicates the dark R&B style explored on the 1998 ‘Human Being’ album. In many ways, it’s the antithesis to previous album of original material ‘Commitment’; an album of Seal testifying his love for then-wife Heidi Klum. ‘7’, on the other hand addresses the breakdown of their marriage. Musically, it utilises Seal’s three signature genres – soul, dark R&B and electronica which does slightly obscure its direction and purpose. Overall, however, it is a pleasant amalgamation of tracks.
Album opener ‘Daylight Saver’ is an eerie ballad framed by dark vocoder driven acapella vocals, lush string arrangements and electro elements. ‘Padded Cell’ is Seal’s darkest track since the 90’s and is rife with pitch-lowered spoken vocals, distorted synths, fluttery electro elements and reverberating percussion whilst ‘Do You Ever’ borrows elements of soul to make it lighter in nature.
As always, the ballads are particularly emotive and luxuriant in nature. Lead single ‘Every Time I’m With You’ is a gorgeous piano driven ballad featuring gentle guitar strums, panoramic orchestration and organic piano chords. Whilst it lacks the levels of enchantment signature track ‘Kiss From A Rose’ exhibited, it’s very much in the same vein and is a lovely track. ‘The Big Love has Died’ utilises waltz-like piano arpeggios and lavish strings building up to a dramatic orchestra-driven song whilst ‘Half a Heart’ is a step back to ’70’s ballads. Closing track ‘Love’ is by far one of the stand-outs on the album where Seal’s signature raspy vocals soar above lush tinkling pianos and gentle synths. Stripped of any over-production, it concludes the album beautifully.
The most dance-influenced track on the album, ‘Life on the Dancefloor’, feels more like clubbing for the over forties (it lacks any electro-pop/house influences and instead utilises brass instruments and piano riffs) than a reflection of the current club scene. Nevertheless, it’s catchy and polished with Trevor Horn’s sleek production which makes it one of the best moments on the album.
Whilst it’s not as sturdy as 2010’s ‘Commitment’, the return of Seal’s original material after two cover albums is warmly welcomed. Likewise, the reunion between Seal and long-term collaborator Trevor Horn is a winning combination; Horn adds invigorating production to the whole affair.
An enjoyable album featuring an eclectic range of genres.
Rating: 4/5.
‘7’ is out now on Warner Bros records.
1) James Taylor – Walking Man
Gorgeous folk/easy listening track with gentle guitar strums.
2) Nothing But Thieves – Graveyard Whistling
Haunting and gorgeous track from one of the best bands currently around. Conor Mason’s vocals are incredible, particularly during the falsetto chorus and the track builds up to a dramatic climax.
3) Nothing But Thieves – Last Orders
Love the unique chords on this haunting track from the band’s ‘Graveyard Whistling’ EP.
4) Nothing But Thieves – Emergency
Another heartfelt and dark track from Nothing But Thieves. The falsetto chorus drowned in reverb in this is stunning.
5) Snow Patrol – How To Be Dead
6) Snow Patrol – Grazed Knees
7) Coldplay – Adventure of a Lifetime
Epic and eclectic disco track with amazing guitar riffs and a mesh of vocal clips. As has been the case on much of Coldplay’s material over the past four years, it’s another change in direction but one which works beautifully. Catchy and upbeat.
8) One Direction – History
Pleasant acoustic-based track from the band’s forthcoming ‘Made in the A.M’ album. A power-house middle eight breaks up the song nicely and it’s a great feel-good pop track.
9) Seal – Love
Stunning piano ballad which closes Seal’s latest album ‘Seal 7’ beautifully. Seal’s trademark raspy vocals soar gorgeously over gentle synths and lovely piano chords.
10) Ellie Goulding – Codes
Catchy track from Ellie’s latest album ‘Delirium’. It’s far more pop based than Goulding’s previous efforts but a track which works brilliantly.
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