Single Reviews 23/04/07

Forgive the lateness of this week’s Single Reviews, folk - we were out running the London Marathon this morning, and we’re pleased to say we topped last year’s time of 3 hours and 10 minutes, by crossing the finish line at 3:02 - next year we’ll come in under the 3 hour mark, for sure.
(Is there any chance you’ll believe that to be true, and not that we were actually sat indoors devouring a violently unhealthy breakfast?)

The mop/monkey hybrid and all-round parody-of-music that is Mika foolishly risks assassination further by releasing a second single. The rancid Love Today is as shrill, as maddening, and as annoyingly camp as Grace Kelly, proving Mika truly is this year’s Sandi Thom. Let’s hope he follows the whinging bastard by dissolving into sweet FA after just the one hit.

Having arguably milked the awesome I’m Not Dead of all its potential singles, Pink gives it one last push with Leave Me Alone (I’m Lonely), where the slightly awkward lyrics are wholly pardoned by the engaging melody and severe arse-kicking energy. Now be a good girl and go record us some new material.

Lostprophets similarly eke a final single from their stupendous Liberation Transmission. And again, it’s not unjustified - 4am Forever is a victorious rock ballad, by far and away one of the album’s stand-out tracks. We’d have probably gone to see them at Wembley this weekend if we weren’t terrified of being a good decade older than everyone else there.

Travis make a quiet, soothing - yet entirely triumphant - return with Closer. A precise example of the gentle, melodic masterpieces they’ve crafted over the years, albeit with an indication of maturity, it’s definitely ample reason to get excited about fifth album The Boy With No Name. A clear Single of the Week.

Finally - and Christ knows how this passed us by - comes Dannii Minogue, with her interpretation of He’s The Greatest Dancer. It’s hardly surprising that it’s gained sod-all in the way of airplay or screen time, but you’d think such a train wreck would be hard pushed not to grab your attention somehow. It’s Dannii Minogue. Doing He’s The Greatest Dancer. That says it all.