I mentioned in my last post that I wasn’t excited about much pop music at the moment, but there are a few things that I’m celebrating (mainly belatedly), so I feel I should share them with you…
Danish jolly-pop
This year so far has been the year of the Danes for me. Although none of them were released in 2008, the most recent CDs by Alphabeat, Junior Senior and especially Private have definitely been my most listened to and loved in the last 10 weeks.
Darren Hayes
I didn’t have the time to fully engage with his latest album when it was released, and after realising from a few listens that it was a disappointment compared to his previous work, I shyed away from giving it any more attention, lest I really fell out of love with my favourite Aussie. Now I’m finally getting to know the songs, finding favourites (Listen All You People is my current love) and realising that it may not be his greatest moment but just by being Darren’s work it’s better than most things in the world.
Gavin DeGraw and Delays’ new albums
The makers of two of my favourite CDs ever are soon to release the follow-ups, so of course I’m very excited, and the lead singles from each are very satisfying. Gavin’s is no departure from his past sound, which is good news for me, and the Delays seem to have gone a little more acoustic but even more jolly than ever, which is a very positive thing. I can’t wait to hear more!
MGMT – Time To Pretend
I’d been listening to this song, and loving it (they’re like Arcade Fire mixed with Under the Influence of Giants!), for a few months before I realised that they were any sort of big deal. Now it’s out as a UK single, their album is being advertised on TV, and they’ve released this brilliant video too. My plan now is to research the rest of their music – any recommendations?