Indie Girl & Pop Boy: New Releases 14th November

Now, we realise we are a bit late this week, and we apologise. But we thank you all for of course rescheduling your singles buying day until you had heard our opinions.

The Darkness – One Way Ticket
IG: Well, what can we really say? It’s The Darkness. It’s Justin Hawkins. It’s inevitably, a pile of old poo. The Darkness once again deliver for their fan base that think this style of rock is still alive when it’s clearly dying on it’s arse if all it has to depend on is The Darkness. I also refuse to call The Darkness “glam rock.”
If you want some proper “glam rock”, look no further than T-Rex. I just cannot be done with this sort of bile.
Justin, just piss off! Will you? Get a one way ticket to Hell… and just stay there.

PB: Former blunt of the week and all round failure at life, Justin Hawkins is back with another novelty Christmas single (because he can’t be serious? Can he?). But, fortunately for the human rights people against torture, it seems his bilious ‘music’ (and I use the term loosely) is becoming even more tired and miserable and he’s had to resort to slagging off other (slightly less worse) rock stars to sell records.
He’s become every rubbish rock star ever made what seems like the longest flash in the pan in history. Reminding people why the Scissor Sisters are so brilliant. Let’s hammer the nails in the coffin right this second.

Girls Aloud – Biology
PB: The ever-so brilliant second single from the surely ever-so brilliant (and as unheard by Pop Boy) third album ‘Chemistry’ from the ever-so brilliant Girls Aloud, lifting the torch high for pop. Well, a bit. ‘Biology’ builds on ‘Long Hot Summer’ that, although not a classic, wasn’t really that bad was it? Well, even if it was, ‘Biology’ is a lot more danceable and has much better lyrics. And it has two choruses! So it’s very much a return to form.
However, this Girls Aloud fan, like so many others, is crying out for the third album to deliver a nice big moody pop stomper and return Girls Aloud to the pop-punk arse-kicking band ‘Sound Of The Underground’ and ‘No Good Advice’ promised they’d be. We (I) want to see some proper attitude, drunkenness, fighting and causing mothers to lock up their sons, not glossy, over rehearsed cushy paint-by-numbers interviews. Throwing pies at Stephen Mulhern is a start.
Nice cover art though, and it’s nice to know that Girls Aloud on a ‘just above average’ day can still blow every other every single released this week out of the water.

IG: I don’t particularly know what this song has to do with an incredibly boring school subject but The Aloud’s attempt at modern motown (as I call it) is pretty damn good.
It’s sexy and classy and the main hook is 100% poptastic. I also happen to think the video is bloody spiffing (especially the wardrobe.)
This is also one of my favourite single releases from Girls Aloud. It’s good to see yet another act doing so well after coming out of the dismal “Popstars: The Rivals”.

Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia
IG: Jesus Of Suburbia is the epic nine minute long single release from Green Day and in fact my favourite track from the highly praised American Idiot. I feel that only this and the title track of the album really live up to the fantastic reviews .
It does go on a bit but it’s one of those songs that can hold your attention.
From the pulsing guitars to the heartfelt vocals. This track leaps through many an emotion which is the perfect cocktail for teenage angst.

PB: Maybe I’m out of touch with the 'yoof but I’ve never got Greenday. Yes, ‘Basket Case’ and ‘American Idiot’ are pretty ace, but I’ve never understood how they can’t cause quite so much excitement. But then again, I’m sure Greenday fans would struggle to see the blaringly obvious social and cultural importance of Girls Aloud and their music. So it’s all subjective.
This song gains brownie points merely for the epic-ness of a 9 minute long song, that hasn’t bored or annoyed me by the time it’s ended, even though after five minutes it turns into a totally different, much softer song, which is sort cheating. It would seem this is very much a call to arms to the fans to start a revolution against the boring and mainstream, and so it should be. The guitars, drums and vocals on this song are all fantastic and blend really well together, and I almost very nearly want to dance, or jump around semi-rhythmically! But not quite. A very close third.

Will Young – Switch It On
PB: I reviewed this song for Whatever’s Left, and to spare me writing the whole damned thing again and trying not repeat myself I think you should just click on the link and read it from there. But do come back. I am very lazy. Sorry.

IG: Hurrah! Mr Young is back. And he’s back with a bang. Sexy, tongue-in-cheek video and a fantastic, poptacular tune. It even goes a wee bit electro just before the chorus which makes it almost an instant hit with me. Though I wouldn’t love it quite as much if it wasn’t as brilliant as it is.
This is a brilliant return from Will and this is definitely one of my favourite singles of Will’s.Who’d have thought that lovely William Young would: