Susan Boyle & Geraldine McQueen // I Know Him So Well

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When you have an official single, you’ve got to have a comedy release to back it up. This year it’s a cover of the Abba song, I Know Him So Well, performed by none other than Susan Boyle and Geraldine McQueen (aka Peter Kay and he does make a rather good looking female).

The video for the song is a enactment of the original but that is not the best bit.  The best has to be hearing Peter Kay singing along side Susan Boyle. Now there is something that you probably thought you wouldn’t see or for that matter hear!

It’s well worth the price of the cd/dvd/download and it is all for charity. In the battle of the Comic Relief singles though, this has to be hands down the winner, no matter what the charts say!

Rating:5/5

The Wanted // Gold Forever

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The hottest boy band of the moment, The Wanted have been given the honour of singing this years official Comic Relief single, Gold Forever

Now you know that it is bound to go to number one just for fact that it is a charity single…and it’s The Wanted.  It isn’t the best song from the band, nor is it one of the best official songs to come out for Comic Relief. Still, the video is probably the best laugh with a ‘How many celebrities can you name?’ in it.

Go on. Buy it. You know you want to. And it’s for charity as well.

Rating:4/5

Sara Bareillis // King Of Anything

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Probably best known for the debut track, Love Song, Sara Bareillis returns with a new album, Kaleidoscope Heart, and the first single to be lifted from the album, King Of Anything.

The song is similar in sound to that of Love Song. It’s got a easy foot tapping beat with what sounds like simple instrumentation. Each instrument has it’s part and doesn’t sound like it deviates throughout the entire song.

Maybe as  first offering it’s a safe bet, returning with something that people are likely to recognise and possibly automatically relate it to the artist without too much difficulty. Hopeful not the only offering from Sara from this album.

Rating:4/5

Parade // Louder

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Meet Emily, Lauren, Bianca, Jessica and Sian, collective known as Parade. Louder is the debut single from the girls who have recently been supporting  Shakira, Alexandra Burke and now Shane Ward.

To be fair, the song is something that you would expect from a girl group. Simple, catchy. And slightly annoying after a while. That seems to be the bread and butter of starting a girl group (unless your name happens to be Wonderland).

The song will appeal to some members of the listening public but is not one of their better songs that have been performed live. Still, will probably get them noticed just and no more. Possibly the support slots will gather some fans

Rating: 3.5/5

Nicole Scherzinger // Don’t Hold Your Breathe

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Don’t Hold Your Breathe is the second solo single from Nicole and is slightly slower in tempo to debut release Poison.

This single feels a little more accessible than the previous release. An upbeat ballad, you’ll more than likely find yourself singing along to the chorus in no time as it very easy to pick up from the word go.

It’s already taken the number position on the Big Top 40 (that charts iTunes releases) despite only being released basically16 hours before the chart countdown. There are some good remixes to be had of the song too and for the karaoke singers out there, you can also get the instrumental version of the song.

Great little number whether a fan or not.

Rating:4.5/5

McFly // That’s The Truth

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McFly appear to be able to do no wrong with their latest album release, Above The Noise. That’s The Truth is the third single to be released from the album. Is it as good as what’s came before?

The answer is simply…yes! The song is a rocking little pop ballad which if compared to earlier works, this continues to show how much the boys have grown when you compare it to earlier works.

Another great track from the album and yet another hit for the boys. One to buy that you won’t be disappointed in.

Rating:5/5

Olly Murs // Heart On My Sleeve

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Heart On My Sleeve is the third single to be released by Olly Murs from his self titled debut album. The last two songs have seemed to emulate the sound of other artists rather than focus on a sound that suits him. So is it third time lucky with this one?

Sadly, no. This time around it feels as if it’s an emulation of a Take That song, and some times, you might believe it was them or wouldn’t have much difficulty imaging the boys performing it. It’s  a ballad yes, but some how the tone of it makes the song seem longer than it is and may have you reaching for the off button.

The single releases probably haven’t grabbed the attention of the casual listener, meaning that they’ve probably given the self titled debut a wide berth.  If there is a second album, hopefully Murs will find a sound that he can make his own rather than borrowing from others.

Rating: 2/5

Mary Byrne // I Just Call You Mine

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Mary Byrne: the checkout assistant from Ireland with the big personality and the voice to match. She was certainly a favourite on the 2010 X-Factor, and now finally it’s came time for her debut single to be released.

As we know, all those that made the final show had recorded a different song as the winner’s song and this may well have been the one that Mary would have released if she had won. The song itself is a cover (original is by Martina McBride) however, the song feels like Mary owns it with it being more balladistic and piano driven. Lyrically it’s also seems very fitting for her.

The song maybe doesn’t showcase the power of her vocals that viewers of the ITV1 show know that she is capable of. But the song is very fitting for her. It’s possibly a bit of playing it safe with this release, but with what appears very little promo for the song, the song is likely to go unnoticed.

Rating: 4/5

The Pierces // You’ll Be Mine

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The Pierces are principally sisters Catherine and Allison Pierce who are based in New York. With their songs having featured in promos for shows such as Dexter, Charmed & Pretty Little Liars and appearances in Gossip Girl and on Later…With Jools Holland, then you’ve possibly heard them without knowing.

You’ll Be Mine is a nice little number with a country/rock/pop feel to it which seems to be an in thing so far this year. It’s an easy track to listen to and one that you might find yourself humming along to without knowing it. Certainly ones to keep your eye on for the coming year

Rating: 4/5

Glee: The Music // Volume 5

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The UK is just coming up to the Sectionals in the second series, but over in the US, they're up to Regionals. As with all these albums, it tends to simply be the highlights of the next batch of episodes that are included, and mostly, not in order that they appear in the show.

In this offering is songs originally by Michael Jackson (P.Y.T Pretty Young Thing), Queen (Fat Bottomed Girls), Justin Bieber (Baby & Somebody To Love), Katy Perry (Fireworks(, Human League (Don't You Want Me Baby) and recent Grammy Award winners, Lady Antebellum (Need You Now). You'll also find quiet possibly one of the best mash-up from the series here as well (Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Yeah Yeah Yeah's Heads Will Roll). Additionally, the first original songs from the show so far are also found on this release (Loser Like Me & Get It Right). Again, this half of the season has had it's share or old and new songs, bring different acts to a new generation.

Really only buy this if you're a complete Gleek and you need it to balance up ye old CD collection but if you've been buying weekly, you're not missing anything.

Rating:4/5

Clare Maguire // The Last Dance

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Described by Q Magazine as 'The Voice Of 2011', Clare Maguire is definitely a voice that won't be ignored. The Last Dance is the second single to be lifted from her recently released debut album, Light After Dark.

Maguire was inspired to write the song after the death of Michael Jackson, so as you've probably guessed, this is a ballad. Not one of those soppy, lovely dovey ballads. This has a slightly dark if slightly detached edge to it but it is a powerful and emotional song, as conveyed as the song comes to the chorus and Clare's vocals swell to the opening bars. The song itself feels very 80's but Clare's haunting vocals (which could be compared to likes of Annie Lennox) adds the dark feeling to it.

Overall, the song showcases not just the power that Maguire exudes from her voice, but also the emotion. She commands attention and hold it, not letting it go until the last note. If this is what Maguire sounds like on record, one can only imagine what she will sound like live.

Rating: 5/5

Wonderland // Introduction To Wonderland EP

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Wonderland is the most recent girl group on the music scene, managed by Louis Walsh and Westlife member Kian Egan. Their first offering to the music world, in the form of a Introduction to EP, is the song Not A Long Song.

It probably not something that you might expect from a debut single. It's a very laid back melody with a slight rock edge. Fortunately, the song lends itself to providing a base to showcase each of the girls vocals individually and as a group.

As for the rest of the EP, the tracks are all live acoustics including a cover of the recent Grammy winning Need You Now (originally by Lady Antebellum), possibly giving the listener a better chance to hear the girls vocals both individually and as a group.

The country/rock/pop sound separates them from what is out there at the moment with a natural sound to their music, rather than the electro-pop that seems to be drowning the music scene at the moment. With upcoming support slots with Boyzone and Westlife on their UK tours, they are likely to get quite a bit of attention meaning that they shouldn't slip under the radar. So long as they keep their currently unique sound, they should do well. One to watch.

Rating: 4.5/5