Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder
I remember when Maroon 5’s first album was released (I bought it in 2003) and they said that the next one may not be out until 2005 and my friends and I gasped in horror – 2005 was sooo far away! Now it’s 2007 and at last there is a new album from the band I was once quite obsessed with. The excitement has certainly died down after such a long wait, but now I’m finally hearing their new single, I remember what an exciting event a brand new M5 song would have been 3 years ago, and it makes me really enjoy this in a kind of nostalgic way. It’s a good comeback, fun and jolly, upbeat, less rocky than ever. It’s not quite This Love but I’m playing it on repeat anyway.
92% Poptastic!
Rufus Wainwright – Going To A Town
Hooray, Rufus returns! And with the promise of this being his most poptastic album yet, I’m very excited. The first single doesn’t exactly sound like the Pet Shop Boys or Darren Hayes, but it is quite lovely nonetheless. It’s very slow and piano-led, but fits with his other more accessible tracks, such as I Don’t Know What It Is and The One You Love, rather than the more unusual ones he is equally known for. I don’t think it will go on to be one of my favourite Rufus tracks, but since it has such tough competition in that respect then that’s not a bad thing really.
86% Poptastic!
Beverley Knight – No Man’s Land
She may have lost out on two series’ of Just The Two Of Us, released a successful greatest hits album, and toured with Take That, but this is her first proper single since she covered Keep This Fire Burning, and that was ages ago! Sadly her return is not a cover of any ace Europop star, but instead a ballad which is really quite dull. She has done a couple of good ballads in the past (Shoulda Woulda Coulda and Not Too Late For Love) but this is nothing special, unless it’s going to grow on me hugely. Maybe it will surprise me and do really well, as songs that don’t seem to stand out at first often do, but I was expecting better so I’m disappointed.
55% Poptastic!