“To read a poem in January is as lovely as going for a walk in June,” said Sartre. Instead, we’ve got Lily Allen and friends (no, not the TV show, thank the lord – wasn’t it ghastly?) It’s the week’s singles, here to see the end of the start of the year off in a flash of rhythmic brilliance. Rock, pop and rap make it into the mix, let us know your favourite.
Lily Allen – The Fear
As she’s in the paper more often than the crossword, it doesn’t even feel like she’s been away. But Digital Spy is glad she’s back, giving 8/10 for this “smart, relevant, affecting pop music”. Suite101 notes that it “shows a maturity that could be risqué”, while Penny Black Music coarsely suggests it is “not so whiney-sounding” as past material. The lyrics are intelligent and slyly mocking and it manages to sound like right now – it’s a 7/10 from us.
MySpace / iTunes / last.fm / Amazon / Spotify
Bloc Party – One Month Off
There are some great tracks on Intimacy, but it isn’t dripping with singles like past albums. Rate Your Music users give it 7/10, with one spotting it is “very Bloc Party”. This is referring to the choppy guitars, but Pitchfork bemoans its “superfluous power-ballad key changes”. The Daily Tube describing it as a “driven punk track” and indicates the band’s ability to “force a political analogy into any song”. It’s lacking the bite of previous efforts, but is still punchy enough to inspire attention. It claims 6/10.
MySpace / iTunes / last.fm / Amazon / Spotify
Kanye West – Heartless
Having gained universal plaudits for his autotuned singing efforts on his new album, Kanye returns to rap verses here, with cringe-worthy lines like “How could you be so Dr Evil?” About believes its “bleak, cold atmosphere” is “above the ordinary” and awards 8/10. Urban Review calls it a “wicked tune, nice production style and well penned” and sends another 8/10 its way. New Music Review gives 8/10 and calls it both an “excellent song” and an “excellent track”. Well, it must be excellent then, we hand it 8/10.
MySpace / iTunes / last.fm / Amazon / Spotify
Ida Maria – Oh My God
The Norwegian rock chick returns with more infectious fluff, which This Is Fake DIY claims “rollicks, rolls and generally sounds as fine as a purely pop mess can”, marking 7/10. Unreality Music loves the “gravelly vocals and frantic crescendos Ida builds up to”, while City Life is equally friendly, giving 6/10 and calling it “simultaneously nervous and furious”. This is harmless stuff, but its attempted edginess ruins damages its fun factor and it only gets 5/10 here.
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