Thursday, September 14, 2006
The Power Of Three
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 This week has seen the online "leakage" of the latest singles from three of my favourite acts in pop, Girls Aloud, The Sugababes and McFly.
You've all become fairly aware of my love for the Aloud's "Something Kinda Ooh", but you're probably unsure of why I love it so much, what with my post the other day resembling a monologue of excitement coming from a 4 year old boy about to go to a Wiggles concert. So what do I actually *think* about these three singles? Well, let's start with the best first...
GIRLS ALOUD - SOMETHING KINDA OOH
In years to come when people think of Girls Aloud, I hope this will be one of the first of their songs that enters the head. An incredibly powerful Eurodance affair, this takes all the best bits of every brilliant 2 Unlimited production from the early to mid 90's. Then, just when you think you know where it's all heading, the Girls make it reproduce with the bassline of TV Rock's "Flaunt It", before turning it into the dance anthem of the century.
Obviously Xenomania have gotten it ridiculously on the mark with this track, which is an absolute club stomper. "Something Kinda Ooh" could very well be the song that puts the Aloud on the map - if they still want to be on said map - in countries like Japan, other areas of Europe and, of course, right here in Australia. Can you just imagine this song being played at 2am at your favourite Saturday nightspot? Because I certainly can.
This is the first song to come along all year that has given me the same feeling I got when I first heard "Biology" in 2005. Killer lyrics ("Something Kinda Ooh/Jumpin' on my tutu" is only the beginning), a chorus which is more infectious than Herpes, a talky-bit which could very well be Sarah Harding's most defining moment in all of recorded sound, and of course the somewhat inclusion of that brilliant "urrrrr-eh urrrr-eh urrrrr-eh urrrr" thing from their cover of "Jump". Except the use of it in this song is about 600 times magnified and, therefore, makes it much better. Unlike pretty much all of their singles since "Long Hot Summer", this is instantly good. At very first listen you're quite well aware of its absolute god-like presence.
Single of the year? You bet your arse it is.
SUGABABES - EASY
The mistake I made when listening to this song for the first time was turning it on immediately after I'd listened to the Aloud's "Something Kinda Ooh" for the 30th time in a row... Madonna's "Hung Up" would probably sound dull after that kind of an Aloud marathon. But after a few more listens (I was quite persistent in trying to like this), it managed to grown on me. Now, I love it.
The whole package comes across as a little Roxette, which is never a bad thing. The chorus isn't quite big enough, but then again the minimal feel of it does add a lot of character to the strings going on in the background, which seem to do this track a LOT of justice. To be honest, the bassline and the strings used through out this song are probably the tracks strongest moments.
Amelle's smokey voice sounds exquisite on this slick, classy and creamy sounding synth-pop delight... It's nice to finally hear her doing a previously-un-sung-by-Mutya track for the 'babes. This is a great indication as to where the girls plan on heading for the future. Is anyone else going to be keen on it though? Unlike the Aloud's latest offering, this is NOT instant, however I do feel that it's "safe" enough for radio to go ga-ga over it, so who knows.
McFLY - STAR GIRL
Because everyone thought McFly's last album (2005's superb "Wonderland") was a bit too gloomy, the boys have decided to return to their fun-time happy-go-lucky roots of album number 1, "Room On The Third Floor". And the second single to be 'lifted' off it is "Star Girl". It's a bit Beach Boys, it's a bit Beatles, it's a bit "Five Colours In Her Hair"... You know, it's a bit good, but it's just not brilliant.
I guess what I'm afraid of is finding the next 'fly album filled with songs about "I got a crush on this girrrrrrl, she's got pink in her hair and she's craaaaaaaazy". This song, much like the Sugababes, is a grower, but I tend to find myself liking this more because it's a McFly song, rather than liking it because it's a good song. I might regret saying it, but "Star Girl" (at first few impressions) just comes off as sounding very McFly-by-numbers, which is sad seeing as the brilliant Dougie-penned "Silence Is A Scary Sound" - which is just sublime - is being relegated as the singles B-Side. Boo.
I must say though that the very homosexual "ooooh-weee-ooooh's" found in the chorus for the single are absolutely lovely.
2 Comments:
- 2:38 AM | Ella Thorvaldsen said...
Oh check out the new Kate Ryan stuff at DSTP/Zappin. She's released the album Dannii said she would..
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- 2:38 AM | Ella Thorvaldsen said...
One of the songs is called, er, Spinning Around and was all over NY Fashion Week.
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