Just Jack – Glory Days
I was expecting him to re-release Writer’s Block after the success of Starz In Their Eyes, but I’m glad he hasn’t because I don’t want it to be ruined by being a huge hit. I really like the video for this (the over-literal dancing is funny and the idea of picture/logo t-shirts matching the lyrics is clever) but the dance routine parts combined with his not-exactly-Eton looks brings out a side of this song which I would never have noticed otherwise – it kinda sounds like Blazin’ Squad! Of course it’s better quality both musically and lyrically, but still once I’d noticed the similarity I couldn’t deny it. I just hope no-one else notices, or I’ll soon be hiding my copies of his albums under my bed.
67% Poptastic!
Infernal – I Won’t Be Crying
Yet another case of one band unexpectedly turning into another – I didn’t think of it at all when I heard this song, as I had many times before I saw the video, but as soon as it appeared on B4 Hits (a much better TV channel than it’s tacky name suggests) I had a feeling of familiarity. It was only after a few more viewings that it finally clicked – Infernal have turned into The Modern! Of course they are now Matinee Club and the chance of success they once seemed to have has withered, but I must say I’d rather Infernal had covered the amazing Jane Falls Down than release this single, which is confusingly inferior to most of the tracks on their album, particularly the singles which have already been released abroad and have videos ready-made. Their marketing has really been messed up, in an almost impressive way, because they could have remained as huge as Paris To Berlin, if they had just continued with the songs that were supposed to be its follow-up, and were in the rest of Europe. It seems like acts try too hard to crack the UK (or USA) sometimes, when they should really just take a leaf out of Cascada’s book and release the same trash (but quality trash – I still think Miracle is amazing) they did in Europe.
70% Poptastic!
Meck ft. Dino – Feels Like Home
I’ve been without TV for the past 3 weeks, and it’s always interesting after that period to watch the music channels and see if the general sound is different, and this time it definitely was – ‘new rave’ seems to finally be taking effect, or at least trying to. The problem is, as other people have said, the idea has been around for a while now and it seems people are making (and signing) music to fit the name. Now the Klaxons are everywhere, and the new dance tunes do seem to have something quite 90s about them. This one samples Don’t You Want Me by Felix and I must say it’s rather enjoyable, but I don’t think an act who is known for working with Leo Sayer is ever going to quite fit a term coined by NME, and to be honest I think any sane person would rather ‘big fish little fish cardboard box’ to the original.
55% Poptastic!