New Releases - 2nd March: Pop Special

New Releases - 2nd March: Pop Special

25 February, 2009
by: Music Team

*Single of the Week* 
Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning
Polydor

Ladyhawke is to Lady Gaga what Kylie Minogue is to Danii. She's prettier, cooler and actually has some talent outside taking her clothes off.

This second release from her debut album, is deliciously '80s. The beginning shares more than a little resemblance to Gary Numan's 'Cars', her jaunty, throaty vocals are Blondie-tastic and there's an incredibly catchy synth-pop beat running throughout. And it doesn't stop there. She's also named after the 1985 Rutger Hauer fantasy film about a bewitched hawk. That does it for me. 4.5/5
EM

Le Corps Mince de Françoise – Bitch of the Bitches
Relentless

Ah the Scandinavians. They're like those annoying cousins who are good at everything. Not only does everyone who lives there look like blond haired super-models, but give them a synthesizer and they make incredible electro pop songs that sound like CSS crossed with a Parisian disco.

It makes me hate all those Eurosceptics who want to keep us out of the EU. It's their fault that I'm stuck on buses enduring 50 Cent playing from mobile phones while everybody on the continent is drinking black coffee and listening to this. 4.5/5
DH

Will Young – Let it Go
19 Recordings

'It's the simple things in life that get me down, like always being right'. Sounds pretty grim, mate. Not as depressing, though, as being mistaken for a waiter by The Hoff.

This is brilliant – a probable, deserving number one. Young's producer Eg White (real name) has added the glorious string quartet outbursts that no self-respecting weepy goes without, and gets Will to do those mid-note demi-tone-wavers that make you think Adele and Duffy have memorable voices. In fact, it's all Eg. 4/5
JH

Take That – Up All Night
Polydor

Never thought I'd say this but there is something here which recalls Paul Simon's '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover'. Yep, my head is on the block.

This song tugs the same strings as all their best stuff – it's happy, cheery, chipper. It has a honky tonk, big band sound with a trombone and real instruments.

And the thing is, now matter how much the cool kids claim to hate Take That, this could easily be The Guillemots or any other soft-indie band having a poppy, upbeat moment. 4/5
LC

Kelly Clarkson – My Life Would Suck Without You
RCA

When she first burst on the scene like an Ikea-Lavigne it was hard not to love Kelly Clarkson. With tracks as brilliant as 'Since U Been Gone' and 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' here, finally, was the identikit pop star we'd all been craving.

Well after going off the radar for a bit, she's back with a trademark slice of issue-pop. 'I know that I've got issues, but you're pretty messed up too'. Issues? Issues like 'How come Ashlee Simpson bagged Pete Wentz when it so could have been MEEEEEE?!' 3.5/5
TJ

Taylor Swift – Love Story
Universal

They say if you can't beat them join them, and in the case of Taylor Swift, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Besides, her colossal fan base can't be wrong, can they?

'Love Story', the latest single from Swift's No.1 album 'Fearless', is a well crafted country-pop song that Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff and Selena Gomez probably all wish they'd thought of first. I hope to God I don't hear it next time I'm in the pub, but whack it in any chick flick and there won't be a dry eye in the house. 3/5
GS

Lemar – Weight of the World
Epic Records

The new advert for Aston Martin sees the sleek driving machine traverse some impressively tight corners at high speed, but with its new patented traction control system, it hugs the road like they're having a family reunion.

Then the door opens and out steps Lemar, doing his version of 'Earth Song'. He sees a crashed car and retreats to the Aston. And is that Rihanna sitting next to him? I hope so. Lemar's a gentleman: he'd sure do right by her. 3/5
TJ

The Saturdays – Just Can't Get Enough
Polydor

Is this Girls Aloud? No, it's Depeche Mode? Oh, it's a Playboy pin-up shoot. Awesome. No, wait; it's just The Saturdays with a horrible cover and a boy-friendly soft porn video.

What? It's for Comic Relief? Now I'm really confused. 2/5
DH

Akon – Beautiful
Universal

Akon's latest single is based around a synth motif recalling Alice Deejay's Eurotrance classic 'Better Off Alone', alongside his usual combination of bland hooks and libidinous rapping. As far as I can tell, the lyrics are about having sex with a very expensive prostitute.

It's easy to be scathing about commercial R'n'B. But don't we all secretly wish we could go to 'Rappers and Slappers' night at Oceana and drunkenly chat up some girl in a latex nurse's uniform with this playing in the background? 2/5
MH

Chris Cornell (Feat. Timbaland) – Part of Me
Interscope

The amount of embarrassment I'm able to feel for people I have never met is sort of a family trait. Even as children, my sister and I could rarely make it through an episode of Neighbours without cringing and making sympathy noises. Then Hollyoaks came along and blew the competition out of the water, with crappy acting to boot.

We should all definitely look away from this song immediately. Insipid, monotonous Timbaland-shook pop that sounds like a latter day N*Sync with unbelievably stupid lyrics. Seriously: THERE IS NO HOPE. 1.2/5
LS

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Music Team