Alphabeat // DJ (I Could Be Dancing)

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DJ (I Could Be Dancing) is the third single to be taken from the group's second album, The Beat Is... and for the purpose of this release has been given a single remix.

The track is a tad different from the heavy electronic sounds of previous singles, but still maintains the sounds that the Danish six piece are known for without deviating too far from their sound. It's a catchy little number and certainly one that you'll sound find yourself singing and dancing along to, even if your not a fan. It's maybe not going to be a great hit, but it's certainly one that will get people on the dance floor

Rating: 4/5

Alexandra Burke // All Night Long

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This latest offering from Alexandra might just be the best so far from the album, Overcome. It’s a great little number with a catchy chorus that is bound to have everyone on the floor dancing along and singing along with the chorus, if not the whole song.

It’s quite possibly the first track NOT to sound like a Eurovision reject and even the casual fan will be able to get into this, even if you haven’t heard anything by her except the debut after winning the X-Factor

Rating: 4/5

Sandi Thom // Merchants & Thieves

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2010 heralds the return of Sandi Thom, as she presents her new album to the world as well as a new style. Released via her own record label (Guardian Angels), Thom retains creative freedom allowing her to make an album that reflect who she is. For Merchants & Thieves, the albums takes on a blues/rock style.

The opening track (Maggie McCall) gets the album underway and delves straight into the new style adopted by Thom for the album. The pace is kept by the following tracks until Let It Stay, a beautiful slow tempo ballad before heading into the album title track which turns out to be a instrumental track (a first for Sandi).

From this point, the album becomes a mix of bag of tempos, kicking off with the first single from this album, This Ol’ World featuring the blues/rock guitarist and vocalist Joe Bonamassa before taking the tempo down slightly for The Sadness.  Heart of Stone brings it back up with what has a highlight of the album. Ghost Town hails another first in which Sandi and backing vocalist Lindsey Clearly sing the track acapella, giving it an appropriate haunting feel. Belly Of The Blues is a track that could have either started or finished the album and settles the album beautifully.

Looking back at what Sandi Thom has done before, there is a feeling that this album is more of what she has been wanting to do and by releasing it on her own label, that is exactly what she has achieved. The style and variation in songs suits her voice and has showcased what she really can achieve and makes for a well rounded album. It is an album of firsts: first release on her own label, first blues/rock inspired album, first instrumental and a capella tracks. The difficulty lies in whether or not that the general music public can put aside it’s pre-conceived ideas regarding her music and realise that she is more than a one track pony and that there is much more that we haven’t seen and quite possibly yet to see.

Rating: 5/5

Amy Macdonald // Spark

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Spark is the second single to be lifted from the current album A Curious Thing. Whilst maybe not the strongest of tracks when compared to the rest of the album, on it’s own, it’s not too bad. The song itself is inspired by those who get on with life after coming through tragedy or difficult times in their life and possibly provide some kind of hope that things will be alright.

The song itself isn’t one of the strongest songs when compared to the rest of the album, however, on it’s own it' isn’t just as bad. Maybe the theme of the song is quite appropriate since we are now entering the season of charity events…

Rating: 4/5

Pearl And The Puppets // Because I Do EP

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Pearl and the Puppets is a band from Kirkintilloch and comprise of singer/songwriter Katie Sutherland (vocals/guitar/ukulele), Blair McMillan (drums ), Gordon Turner (guitar), Scott Clark (bass) and Michael Abubakar (keyboards) and this is the first offering for those in the UK to sample (her songs have been used by Vodafone (Australia), Orange (Romania) and Victoria’s Secret (US))

Because I Do is a fun little acoustic guitar driven song which builds into the chorus and bridges. The song provides a mesmerising melody to go with the equally with the vocals. Girlfriend (track 2) continues this mellowed out feeling. Mango Tree (track 3) wakens the EP up a little but you could see this as a closing track to an album or a song you’d listen to just before nodding off to sleep. The last track, Lower Ground is one of those songs that you could imagine playing at the close of the day

Overall, the EP showcases what Pearl is capable of, and giving a possible tease for what to expect from the album (expected later in the year). A wonderful little gem from Scotland that shouldn’t be overlooked and if possible, be heard live.

Rating: 5/5

Glee: The Music // The Power Of Madonna

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If you haven’t heard of Glee by now, what rock have you been sleeping under?  This album is dedicated purely to the episode of the same name and therefore, features the songs of Madonna.

If you’ve seen the episode then you already know what to expect. If you haven’t then just listen to the tracks and imagine the possibilities.  The tracks are more from Madonna older catalogue, but are given the Glee make over to bring them to a new generationIt is almost a perfect 10 for the album except for the Borderline/Open Your Heart mash up (track 2) which really should have just been Open Your Heart on it’s own, as it is more that than Borderline.

The highlights of the album have to be Vogue (featuring Sue Slyvester on the lead vocals!!), 4 Minutes (which could be deemed to be maybe better than the original) and the finale of Like A Prayer. Overall the album would definitely appeal to those that want to hear the full songs and not the edited versions that appear in the episode.

Possibly don’t expect these songs to feature on Glee: The Music Vol.3

Rating: 4.5./5

Race For Life // Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

 
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The first charity single to be released for Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life event. The song is a cover of the Cyndi Lauper classic and features the celebrity vocals of  singer and DJ Sonique Kym Marsh, Caroline Quentin,  Nicola T (Big Brother),  Danielle Lloyd and Lucie Jones (X-Factor) but also features the vocals of hundreds of women from up and down the country .

The song is a great little number and is basically the theme of the event, women coming together to have fun, have amazing moments and yet helps support a serious cause. Well worth the 79p and all the money goes to Cancer Research UK

p.s. it’s also available as a CD single available from Tesco stores or online at Tesco Entertainment

Diana Vickers // Once

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Another previous X-Factor contestant releases a song, this time, it’s Diana Vickers. Whilst she’ll probably still have the support of her X-Factor followers, for those of us who have never paid attention to the show, this is the first time that we’ve probably heard of her. And unfortunately, her first offering isn’t great.

The song, Once, is an alright song for one off listen. It’s not something that you could put on repeat and listen to again and again. The lyrics are simple, repeated. There’s nothing to the melody. In fact, there’s pretty much nothing in it to make you sit up and take notice or make you want to check the upcoming album.  She has a good voice but unfortunately, the style of song isn’t her.

It’s going to be one of those songs that we’ll hear for a while until we’re sick of it and then be asking ‘Diana who?"’

Rating:1/5

Sandi Thom Feat. Joe Bonamassa // This Ol’ World

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It’s Sandi Thom, but not as you know her.  She’s back with this blues influenced song featuring the blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Joe Bonamassa (with whom she toured as support at the end of last year).

Gone is restraint of what a label wanted and now we’re hearing the sort of thing that she wants to write. It’s a great little number with a fantastic rhythm and great guitar and a great way to introduce the new look musically. It’s the first single to be lifted from the new album, Merchants & Thieves (released 17th May 2010) and sets the style for the whole album.

Hopefully current fans will accept this new style for Sandi as well as attract newer fans and help shrug the ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker’ days aside.

Rating 5/5

Gabriella Cilmi // Ten

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Gabriella Cilmi returns with album number two aptly named, Ten (one reason that has been cited by Gabriella herself is the fact that this year her birthday is 10.10.10). If you’ve heard the debut, Lessons To Be Learned, then Ten is likely to come as shock to the system. In fact, it’s Gabriella, but not as we know her

The opening track is also the first single, On A Mission, which many will know by now has a very retro yet futuristic sound to it. This literally sets out the flavour of the entire album; retro with a modern twist. Hearts Don’t Lie has a Disco feel whilst What If You Knew keeps the pace up with the same sort of style. 

Love Me Cos You Want To continues with the electronics and sounds like something maybe more expected from the Eurythmics and slows the pace a little in time for the first proper ballad, Defender. Superhot again picks up on the disco feel before heading into Boys, which, if it was possible, should be an alternative track for Wii Fit’s step aerobics.

The last three tracks herald back to the feel of Lessons To Be Learned, albeit with an electronic twist, showing that Cilmi hasn’t forgotten that which grabbed the media’s interest. The bonus track is a 2010 remix of Gabriella’s first single, Sweet About Me, and basically brings it up to date with the album style as a whole.

As I said at the start, this is not the Gabriella that we knew from Lessons To Be Learned. Not only has she worked with previous producer Xenomania, she’s also worked with the likes of Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Little Boots), Dallas Austin (TLC, Gwen Stefani, Michael Jackson) which probably explain the whole sound of the album. She’s matured and ready to take a risk by completely overhauling her sound for the new album.

Whilst maybe not what was expected, the overall sound of the album reflects the current style flooding the music scene at present (with the likes of Lady GaGa, Little Boots etc.) and this may mean that she won’t be as prominent as she was with the release of Lessons To Be Learned. However, in saying that, it’s a solid album that should do well, maybe even attract newer fans. It’s definitely proved that she’s ‘On A Mission’ to show that lessons have been learnt.

Rating: 4/5

Track listing
On A Mission
Hearts Don't Lie
What If You Knew
Love Me Cos You Want To
Defender
Robots
Super Hot
Boys
Invisible Girl
Glue
Let Me Know
Superman
Sweet About Me (Twenty Ten Version)

Amy Macdonald // A Curious Thing

 
Standard Edition
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Deluxe Edition
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Vinyl
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Amy Macdonald with what some would describes as the 2nd difficult album, especially after how well the debut, This Is The Life did. Can this second helping from the Scottish singer/songwriter topple this?

Once again, Amy draws on everyday events to inspire her songs and the lyrics reflect this. The opening track and lead single, Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over throws you straight into the album with it’s powerful electric guitar opening and Amy’s powerful lyrics reflecting on how we can change things before it over but how we have to do it for ourselves. No Roots is an odd little track. It starts of acoustic before building into a full scale, multi-instrument track (reminiscent of the song Let’s Start A Band from This Is The Life).

Love Love  could be viewed as Amy’s first attempt at a love song and is purely a fun little number. An Ordinary Life (one of the last songs to be added to the album) was inspired after attending her first film premier and seeing how everyone reacted and being glad that she does have An Ordinary Life. My Only One is a beautiful ballad which is, as Amy has said, about losing people who are close to you.

The tempo and mood are lifted with This Pretty Face, which is a dig at the world being concerned about how people look outward rather than looking at who they are, not what they are. Next Big Thing is another dig at the music industry and how, throughout the year new artists are topped as the next big thing, and most after one song or album fade into obscurity. The closing track (What Happiness Means To Me) rounds the album off beautifully, starting off quietly ballad like building to a climax, leaving the next chapter to be written.

Overall, it is a good album, but some tracks feel a little unfinished or unpolished. This may have been the look they were going for but it just feels slightly awkward. There are a few good tracks but not many that are likely to single material. If feels like a natural progression for her although it may leave some fans divided as it does have a completely different feel from This Is The Life. Only time will tell whether or not it can do any better than the debut.

Rating: 4/5

Gabriella Cilmi // On A Mission

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Gabriella Cilmi is back and is back with a bang! On A Mission has a retro disco kinda feel to it but is full of electronic sounds and a kicking beat. In a nutshell, it feels like she’s telling her critics that she doesn’t care what they have to say, this is her and that is that. And if you think that the song sounds great, you should check out the video!

This is a great comeback track for Cilmi after a year of absence, and shapes things up for when her new album, Ten (Rel. Date 22.03.10) is unleashed to the public.

Rating: 5/5