Europop – Page 50

Frida Sundemo – We Are Dreamers

“Something is clearly About To Happen.“

Tim: Frida’s brilliant song Snow was used in a film I saw recently about an A&R bloke who was a complete arsehole and needed to find some new talent; she played that at a gig and was duly snapped up. I thought that was a bit unfair really, but I guess she was happy with it, and the presumable cash that came with it. ANYWAY, here’s her new one.

Tom: That’s one of the best intros I’ve heard in a while. Something is clearly About To Happen.

Tim: Obvious criticism: there’s not a huge amount going on in the way of lyrics, and that is perhaps something that should be worked upon.

Tom: Agreed: once the Thing Happened, that was it, the song seemed to run out of ideas.

Tim: On the other hand, repeating it over and over again is a hell of a way to get a message across – “I feel like air” might not be particularly inspiring or indeed intelligible, but you can’t exactly ignore the dreamers bit, and certainly not when it’s over backing as impressive as this.

Tom: True, the composition and production is basically perfect here. I still feel it’s missing something — it may just be anything in the low frequencies, because it’s all treble and no bass — but what’s there is great.

Tim: Right, because just listen to that stuff at e.g. 46 seconds in – isn’t it just gorgeous? And it persists throughout. It’s so LOVELY.

Rebecca & Fiona – Shotgun

“It has everything.”

Tim: The new one of this reliable duo is, I’m pleased to inform you, more or less exactly what I was hoping for when I first pressed play on the new Icona Pop track.

Tom: I wasn’t sold on it until the pre-chorus: then I think my brain figured out what it was trying to do, and it clicked into place.

Tim: It has everything: loud but still melodic vocals, with the occasional bout of mild sincerity, planted gracefully on top of a hefty electro synth backing. I really like this a lot. I don’t, annoyingly, have much more to say about it – there are no spectacular moments, but also no obvious disappointing parts.

Tom: As with so many tracks we see, Tim, it’s… it’s okay. It’s not a bright moment of genius, but it’ll do.

Tim: All I have to say is: Icona Pop, move over. We’ve got another duo to take your place.

Icona Pop – Brightside

“Cutting back on the usual just to blend in? No thanks.”

Tom: That’s a bold title. “Brightside” as one word belongs to the Killers, surely? What’ve they done?

Tim: Well, here’s their recipe: take your typical Icona Pop track, realise any shoutiness needs to be toned down a bit to fit on the palm tree bandwagon, throw in a quick tropical post-chorus. Stir well, allow to settle until way after the party season’s over, because seriously, how is this still a thing, and press play to experience.

Tim: And I’m not happy, Tom. I mean, it’s not a bad track, but it’s not a great Icona Pop track, is it?

Tom: I guess not, but as someone who never really liked Icona Pop’s overly-shouty style, I think it might be better for it. Not that the half-assed coconuts they’ve added really help.

Tim: I don’t know how much of the toning down the shoutiness I mentioned above was something that went through their heads when they were writing it, but if it was that’s a big disappointment, because I’m properly bored now of bands jacking in their usual style just so they’ll fit on some bland Tropical Beats playlist and get all the streaming money when people put it on an a party because it’s got a couple of their current favourites on it.

Tom: That’s harsh, but not unwarranted. I doubt that’s the conscious motivation, but yep: this seems very much ‘chuck in what’s popular right now’.

Tim: I hear the words ‘Icona Pop’, I want either their usual or heading out it a new direction. Cutting back on the usual just to blend in? No thanks. Really, no.

Robin Veela feat. Kazi – People

“Yep, it’s the Other Synth Patch of 2016.”

Tim: This has lyrics about it being the weekend, and it’s quite the banger on top, so normally I’d wait for tomorrow; unfortunately it’s not quite tropical enough, and in any case I have a particular rant saved up for tomorrow.

Tom: Mm. It’s a bit generic, isn’t it?

Tim: A bit, yes – we certainly have the slight tropical beat under the vocal, but it doesn’t go full on coconuts in the chorus like I was expecting it to. Instead we have the other overused dance effect that’s hanging around at the moment, which is one that annoys me because I don’t actually know what it is – I think it’s just a distorted vocal?

Tom: Ah, the “Sia effect”. Yep, it’s the Other Synth Patch of 2016. I wonder if people will be using this in thirty years’ time to make “retro 2010s music”?

Tim: In any case, it’s a sound I’ve at least got used to, and I think can dance to. Well, might dance to. Or, quite possibly, realise I need another drink. I don’t know. Dance track, just about verging on acceptability.

Tom: Are you… are you OK?

Tim: I…think I’m just really tired. I’m going to bed now, I’ll see you tomorrow.

Ida LaFontaine – Cold

“It’s certainly not a miss, although I’m not sure it’s a hit either.”

Tim: Quick note in advance: I’m fairly sure you’ll like the audio here, but be prepared that the video comes with some proper Hollyoaks-level drama, so you might want to make sure your emotions are in check first.

Tim: There are some singers you know you can rely on, that you’re almost certain won’t bring out a duff track. Until yesterday, Ida was four for four here, and I’m happy to make that five for five.

Tom: It’s certainly not a miss, although I’m not sure it’s a hit either.

Tim: Well, there are negative points: the beat underneath the verses, for example is largely uninspiring, and so reminiscent of Umbrella that I can’t quite work out if it’s a sample or a loop that’s just far enough away not to get sued.

Tom: Fact: that loop from Umbrella is actually a stock loop from Apple GarageBand. The synths they’ve used here don’t help the comparison though.

Tim: There’s also the utter pointlessness of texting someone to tell them you’ve got a new number but not say who you are.

Tom: I couldn’t work out if you were using “Hollyoaks-level” as a compliment earlier, but now I know.

Tim: On the other hand: I love that chorus, I really really do. It’s fantastic, and I will SLAY anyone who says otherwise.

Tom: I’m… I’m not sure how you’re using that word, but okay.

Tim: I also love that middle eight (despite it not finishing with a key change, as anyone sensible knows that it should). In all, those vocals, those choruses and that middle eight more than – vastly more than – make up for any shortcomings. It’s great.

Dolly Style – Young & Restless

Tim: I’ve lost track of who plays the part of which Dolly (Molly, Polly and Holly, you’ll recall), because they seem to have a higher turnaround time than the Sugababes. Nonetheless, here’s their new one, with a message that’s very à la mode (a prominent line in the pre-chorus being very much so, and it’s the Tinie Tempah one you’re thinking of).

Tim: And that there is pop music, owing a lot to Katy Perry, and others.

Tom: Particularly in the vocals in that first chorus: the vocal quality is really similar. The track’s less bubblegum-pop than they’ve done before, as well.

Tim: But all on its own it is pure, unadulterated pop. It is not ashamed to be that, rightly: it is well aware that pop music is frequently looked down upon, but also that those who do look down just have a colossal lack of a sense of fun.

I’d call this textbook, but it’s not. This is to textbook what the 20 volume Oxford English Dictionary is to that Chambers Pocket thing lurking in a school rucksack.

Tom: There’s a reference from twenty years ago, Tim. Sorry, you were on a metaphor.

Tim: It takes what’s in the textbook, explores it in vast amounts of detail, and then takes in so much more. We’ve discussed previously the idea of ‘perfect pop’ – tracks that go alongside What Makes You Beautiful, Lovekiller and Exclusive Love on a pedestal of greatness – and my God, it’s a shame that these girls aren’t well known outside Sweden. Because damn, this track wouldn’t be too far out of place.

Hanne Leland – Queen

“Oh, no, no, no, don’t do that.”

Tim: YAS QUEEN.

Tom: Oh, no, no, no, don’t do that.

Tim: 💃 💃 💃

Tim: And oh, I should have listened to more than the first thirty seconds before typing that intro, because it started out so promisingly.

Tom: I think you should have taken a few more minutes of reflection before typing that intro, but never mind. The music: and particularly, that terrible chorus.

Tim: Right, because it starts out with almost a nice tropical vibe, happy first verse, all set for an upbeat chorus. But then it happens, and oh, the disappointment. I don’t know if it’s autotuned or some other effect there, but whatever’s going on with that vocal just isn’t pleasant to listen to. The second verse is nice, mind, as is the closing fade out section. All in all, though, with the other choruses and middle eight: I never thought I’d ever need to do this, but I’m going to have to retract my earlier YAS QUEEN. I’m sorry, Hanne.

Tom: And all is right with the world.

Anton – Devil

“More effort was put into the video than into the actual track.”

Tim: You may remember Anton Ewald; he’s back after a while off, and has ditched his surname, because why not? Video note: nothing technically naughty, but it’s fairly graphic, and a tad disturbing, so I wouldn’t watch it at work, or with your parents in the room.

Tim: And that’s decent enough, more or less – I can’t shake the feeling, though, that more effort was put into the video than into the actual track.

Tom: Apart from the bit where it just appears to be him dancing with four men who’ve just left the office, yes.

Tim: The first time I played it I was too entranced by the video to pay much attention to the music; the second time and as I’m listening to it now… ehh.

Tom: You’re absolutely right: switching between the tab with the video and the tab where I’m writing this, I find I’m much more interested in the video than the song.

Tim: I’ll happily listen to it, sure (though I’m not that keen on whatever vocal effect they’ve put on him), but only really as a background track. Really, I’m just not as engrossed by it as I think the video thinks I should be. PRIORITIES PLEASE.

D-wayne feat. Jack McManus – Love Again

“I think it’s time we had a serious discussion about pineapples”

Tom: D Wayne Love? That’s a reference hardly anyone’s going to get, but I’m going to make it anyway.

Tim: Fair enough. This lad, though, is Dutch, with vocals provided by Jack, from our fine country, and the track popped up on my New Music Mix playlist last Friday. And I think it’s time we had a serious discussion about pineapples and the like.

Tim: First things first: I really like this track. The production’s fantastic, vocals are great, decent lyrics, and a good melody. I like the genre as well, but let’s face it: it’s a ludicrous genre.

Tom: Well, there are a lot of ludicrous genres out there. And is this really a genre, or just a taste for a particular style of synth patch? We didn’t start calling it “questionable-Jamaican-rap-middle-eight-pop” after Peter Andre blazed a trail in the 90s, did we?

Tim: No, but then questionable Jamaican rap middle eights didn’t make their way into multiple tracks every week for over eighteen months (and counting). Maybe I’m only now waking up to the cynicism inherent in the music industry, but I can’t help thinking that if this track had been produced two years ago, we’d have had a country guitar in that post-chorus instead. Suddenly, though, Kygo stuck that Passenger remix online, and everybody’s idea of heaven went from being on a tractor to being on a beach surrounded by cocktails and women in skimpy bikinis, and BOOM.

Tom: And I don’t really have much more to say about this track. It’s a decent track. It’s not going to be a floor-filler, but it’ll do in the middle of the set. You’re right, though: it’s following the path set by others.

Tim: Right, because next stop, every man and his copy of Logic Pro is downloading all the marimba and steel drum plugins they can get their hands on – this week alone, we’ve got soundalike tracks from The Veronicas, The Vamps and Maroon 5, and even I’m getting a bit bored of it. Will it ever stop, and when?

Tom: Whenever someone else releases something new, original, catchy and lucky.

Tim: I don’t know – to be honest, I don’t even know really what kind of point I’m trying to make here, other than playing this stuff out loud when temperatures outside are barely hitting double figures is inherently ridiculous, and inherently relaxing and reassuring at the same time. Until it gets entirely boring and uninspired (like that Maroon 5 track), then: BRING ON TROPICAL HOUSE AND FRIDAYS AND 🍍 AND 🍹.

The Magnettes – Hollywood

“Eurgh, that fade out ending.”

Tim: The Magnettes are a pair from Sweden comprised of Rebecka Digervall and Sanna Kalla, and are here today to present episode two of “Where Else Has Tim Heard That Chord Progression?”

Tom: I mean, technically last time it was a melody, but okay, let’s roll with this.

Tim: Pedant, and either way it’s probably not a game show that has a particularly long lifespan, but then you said that about Tropical Fridays, and who knows what’s coming up tomorrow?

Tom: 🍍

Tim: The third and first half of the fourth section of that bass loop, any idea? Fairly sure it’s some sort of rock track.

Tom: Actually, I was going with the theme tune to Steven Universe, mainly because of those descending sections in the melody, but I think you’re probably thinking of the bass progression from Creep.

Tim: Ah, yes, that’s the one. But also, eurgh, that fade out ending. Come on, people, haven’t were moved past that yet?

Tom: Sia hasn’t. Maybe they’re making a comeback.

Tim: Oh, I do hope not. Aside from that, perfectly decent pop/rock track – I particularly like that rowdy “ah-ah-ah-ah” section out of the middle eight – and there’s not a lot of female-fronted stuff like around at the moment. So welcome along ladies, please help yourselves to a microphone. And a manual on how to write an ending.