This week’s all been a tad perplexing, has it not? A shrieking, attention-seeking trolley-dolly named the ultimate Big Brother housemate; Gary Barlow foolishly collaborating with Robbie Williams once again; Louis Walsh being the most sensible and likeable judge on last night’s X Factor. Alternate universe much? At least the Single Reviews are reliable. Ish.
Shontelle puts her bestest chops to work on Impossible, a blubbery ballad that employs the same subtle snifter of rave that The Saturdays recently made such a dog’s dinner of on the truly horrible Missing You. Thankfully, Shontelle does a much better job, even if the overall result is a relatively standard example of pleasant-enough-to-pass playlist filler.
Single of the Week goes to the Manic Street Preachers ahead of their tenth studio album, with the heroic, string-laden radio rock of (It’s Not War) Just the End of Love. The similarities to Stomp by Steps are near-bloodcurdling in their resemblance, but oddly enough it doesn’t detract from the song, and with any luck it’s the lead-in to a concept album where Deeper Shade of Blue, One For Sorrow and Love’s Got A Hold On My Heart are among the many samples. Christ, can you imagine?!
And lastly, a track that simultaneously ticks the boxes of peculiar, cacophonous, creepy and amazing. But coming from Yeasayer, that’s perhaps to be expected. While they’re arguably better at the louder, more melodic side of their catalogue (see O.N.E. for further details), the ethereal grizzle of Madder Red marks a band truly carving out their own genre, and doing so rather brilliantly.
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