New Releases 24th October 2005

Backstreet Boys - Just Want You To Know

IG: A return from a band, which I’ll be honest, I thought had split up or been dropped. But no! The BSB’s are back! With a comedy video and all! The whole thing is a typical boyband affair except the chorus which sounds almost like a cross between Busted and McFly. Just a tiny bit. It does make me think that perhaps the BSB’s are perhaps getting a little too old to be singing songs that sound like teen pop rock. The song is alright, but it sounded better with the video. Perhaps it was distracting me from the general “same old, same old” feel of the song.

PB: I haven’t decided whether this song is brilliant or not yet. The video is brilliant, and the fact that the Boys are having a little giggle at this song sets them apart from certain other boybands releasing this week who seem to be constantly straight-faced.

The video seems to allow them to get away with the single. It does sound like it’s from 1985. It does sound like a drivetime power ballad. But they already know that, duh! And the aged sound to this song seems to work. I don’t why, but it does. Which I guess makes the whole thing timeless, doesn’t it? Backstreet’s Back, alright??

Kate Bush - King Of The Mountain

IG: The first two lines are almost inaudible, but that doesn’t matter! It’s Kate fucking Bush! She is back. ‘King Of The Mountain’ is Kate’s first single release since 1994 and I must say, it’s bloody fantastic. The first verse sounds like it should be on constant repeat in a new age shop, the second verse has a perfect guitar edge and the rest of the song is just magical. And it probably could be better as the speakers on the speakers on my laptop certainly do not do the song justice. The soundtrack to a dark fairytale. A fantastic return from Kate.

PB: This is one Bush administration that has my 100% backing! I’ve had a real job getting hold of this song on mp3 (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and hadn’t heard until Friday when it was played in Virgin Megastores and I stood underneath the speaker on my tiptoes shushing people as they walked past. And it was worth it.

One listen to this song justifies my excitement and anticipation and mega-obsessive fandom for Kate and ‘Aerial’. Kate doesn’t make music like anybody else. ‘King Of The Mountain’ is quirky and insane in equal measures and the video features Elvis suits flying around with spinning headlines saying “The King is Back” in lots of languages. Welcome back Kate, don’t ever go away again.

Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure

IG: A re-release of my favourite single from one of the stand-out indie acts of the swarms that have been making themselves known this year. Well, I have liked this sing since I first heard it back in Feburary before the first release so my review is rather predictable. If you didn’t buy it then, buy it now. Failing that, just add the album to your Christmas list just now. Or buy it in the sales and snap it up for a ludicrously low price. This single is my favourite of the lot though, Snappy hooks and Paul Smith’s crazed vocals grabbed me n the first listen. Brilliant.

PB: “Write a review? Well how objective can I be?” See what I did there? Because I can’t be very objective because Maximo Park are one of my favourite bands of the year. You see? It’s really clever isn’t it? [IG – get on with it] Anyway…

This was originally their debut single but has been glittered up and actually promoted and is now being re-released. Which is good thing because hopefully ‘Graffiti’ will follow suit. If I controlled the world then Maximo Park would be the biggest band in the world, but I don’t, so they’ve just have be the biggest band on this web-blog, on this post. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.

Westlife - You Raise Me Up

IG: Listening to the intro it sounds like the normal Westlife dirge. And surprise, surprise it is. Firstly I thought, “well, it’s a bit crap but at least it’s not a cover” until I found out that it is another bloody cover which doesn’t do Josh Groban justice. Sometimes I wish that they would just piss off and leave us alone. Good song but unfortunately, Westlife have ruined it and made it sound boring and similar to all of their other tracks (you know.. Yawn etc) Trust them. Grr!

PB: This song has not only been played constantly on every episode of the X-Factor but was also performed by The Conway Sisters. Now, Josh Groban’s version (the original) is much better than this dross that the ‘Loife have produced, which is a silly move by Louis Walsh if he thought that playing the original (good) version would make people like this really bad version. However, Louis may have Simon Cowell to thank for getting The Conway Sisters to murder this song on Saturday night and make the ‘Loife version sound a lot better.

If I die in Paris I want this to be played at my funeral. Because it will make people cry. It makes me cry anyway. I mean, they’ve ruined such a good song. Why? Why? Why do bad things always happen to good songs?

Best & Worst?
IG: Best - Maximo Park, Worst - Westlife
PB: Best - Kate Bush, Worst - Westlife