This weeks music reviews
Secondcity - I Wanna Feel
Secondcity are set to top the chart this week with their debut single I Wanna Feel.
I Wanna Feel ensures that the dance craze resurgence as of late lives on. It also guarantees that the sampled dance tracks craze (See Sigma's Nobody to Love and Duke Dumont's I Got U) lives on too, as it samples 1994's You're Making Me High by Toni Braxton. A recent dance track it's not too disimilar to is Route 94's My Love, but where it does differ is the fact that it is a little more dark sounding. I also think it's a lot more interesting and emotional. Great stuff.
4/5
Klingande - Jubel
French house DJ Cedric Steinmyller a.k.a Klingande looks set to make his U.K. chart debut with Jubel this week - as it was already as high as #3 in the midweek chart.
Jubel is already the second saxophone hit of the year, and it's very similar to this predecessor - Changes by Faul and Wad Ad vs. Pnau with it's prominent saxophone production. Jubel is pleasant enough, but doesn't quite pack the same punch as Changes and relies a little TOO much on the saxophone which becomes a bit tedious after a while.
2/5
Ellie Goulding - Beating Heart
Ellie is back with latest single Beating Heart, taken from the soundtrack to the film Divergent. It looks to give her another top 10 - with it being at #9 in the midweek chart.
The one thing that instantly clicked for me about Beating Heart was the gorgeous, chilled-out synth-pop production. Ellie's vocals are also sounding stunning. Production aside, the track itself turned out to be quite a grower, with the ending note being a bit erratic indeed! It's pleasant enough on the whole, but probably not one of her more memorable tracks.
3/5
Twin Atlantic - Heart and Soul
Twin Atlantic are set to make their first ever entry onto the U.K. Top 40 Singles Chart - with Heart and Soul as high as #10 at the midweek stage!
I was very much aware of Twin Atlantic - as on the radio their bold songs with the Scottish accent are rather unforgettable! Anyway, production-wise it's all there, with uplifting guitars in particular making the track a rather huge affair. For me it's kind of just there - a pleasant enough pop direction for them, with a chorus fit for the radio with it's easily accessible lyrics.
2.5/5
One Direction - You & I
One Direction are back with their fourth single to be taken from Midnight Memories. Charting previously at #19 following the release of the album originally, the single campaign provides a chance to beat this peak - as it was #12 at the midweek stage.
For me, You & I wasn't instant but has grown on me in time. One Direction have actually impressed me as their material seems to get stronger with each album release, particularly the ballads. You & I is vocally on point, as Harry conveys the chorus with a lot of emotion, whilst Zayn delivers on falsetto near the end. The production is understated but gorgeous, whilst the track itself is a very romantic affair, with very strong statements such as "We can make it to the end" and "Not even the gods above, can separate the two of us" lyrically. While you'd expect it to be cheesy, it surprisingly really isn't.
4/5
Lana Del Rey - West Coast
West Coast is the first single to be taken from Lana's 2nd upcoming album Ultraviolence. It is produced by Dan Auerbach from Black Keys and was #14 at the midweek stage.
As soon as the track begins, the production makes me feel very chilled out, and her sultry vocals also compliment this. The tempo change at first was a bit sudden, but after a while I got used to it and found the transition very relaxing. The track is driven by an understated but memorable chorus. Overall it's a rather breezy track that sounds ideal for road trips.
4/5
Jubel is already the second saxophone hit of the year, and it's very similar to this predecessor - Changes by Faul and Wad Ad vs. Pnau with it's prominent saxophone production. Jubel is pleasant enough, but doesn't quite pack the same punch as Changes and relies a little TOO much on the saxophone which becomes a bit tedious after a while.
2/5
Ellie is back with latest single Beating Heart, taken from the soundtrack to the film Divergent. It looks to give her another top 10 - with it being at #9 in the midweek chart.
The one thing that instantly clicked for me about Beating Heart was the gorgeous, chilled-out synth-pop production. Ellie's vocals are also sounding stunning. Production aside, the track itself turned out to be quite a grower, with the ending note being a bit erratic indeed! It's pleasant enough on the whole, but probably not one of her more memorable tracks.
3/5
Twin Atlantic are set to make their first ever entry onto the U.K. Top 40 Singles Chart - with Heart and Soul as high as #10 at the midweek stage!
I was very much aware of Twin Atlantic - as on the radio their bold songs with the Scottish accent are rather unforgettable! Anyway, production-wise it's all there, with uplifting guitars in particular making the track a rather huge affair. For me it's kind of just there - a pleasant enough pop direction for them, with a chorus fit for the radio with it's easily accessible lyrics.
2.5/5
One Direction are back with their fourth single to be taken from Midnight Memories. Charting previously at #19 following the release of the album originally, the single campaign provides a chance to beat this peak - as it was #12 at the midweek stage.
For me, You & I wasn't instant but has grown on me in time. One Direction have actually impressed me as their material seems to get stronger with each album release, particularly the ballads. You & I is vocally on point, as Harry conveys the chorus with a lot of emotion, whilst Zayn delivers on falsetto near the end. The production is understated but gorgeous, whilst the track itself is a very romantic affair, with very strong statements such as "We can make it to the end" and "Not even the gods above, can separate the two of us" lyrically. While you'd expect it to be cheesy, it surprisingly really isn't.
4/5
West Coast is the first single to be taken from Lana's 2nd upcoming album Ultraviolence. It is produced by Dan Auerbach from Black Keys and was #14 at the midweek stage.
As soon as the track begins, the production makes me feel very chilled out, and her sultry vocals also compliment this. The tempo change at first was a bit sudden, but after a while I got used to it and found the transition very relaxing. The track is driven by an understated but memorable chorus. Overall it's a rather breezy track that sounds ideal for road trips.
4/5
