Tag: The Script

The Script – Rain

“Modern enough to slot perfectly well into any standard current generic new pop playlist”

Tim: On Radio 1 the other day Danny said they had to change their sound up a bit for their new album because it’s “difficult for regular bands to get played” which (a) is a bloody odd way of vaguely attacking inauthentic music and (b) sounded utterly moronic two minutes later when they played Arctic Monkeys. BUT ANYWAY, here’s their NEW SOUND.

Tom: …does anyone remember what their old sound was?

Tom: All joking aside, that is a fantastic introduction. That’s one of the most promising piano-and-vocal introductions I’ve heard in a while. Shame about the weird electronic samples, but I can let that slide.

Tim: Yes – but then they’re really the only things that single it out as being different from said old style, aren’t they? I’m struggling to hear any real difference. Though that’s not necessarily a complaint, mind.

Tom: It’s got a catchy oh-oh-oh chorus, and normally I’d slate that sort of thing as being lazy, but… well, it’s really catchy.

Tim: It is. And actually despite my earlier disagreement it is modern enough to slot perfectly well into any standard current generic new pop playlist, so I guess if generic new pop is what they’re going for: good work lads.

Tom: That about sums it up, doesn’t it? “Good work”. It’s not a banger, but it’s certainly not a disaster either. This is a decent track.

The Script – Superheroes

“I don’t really want to say inspirational, but…”

Tim: I can never remember if The Script are one of those bands that people are supposed to find annoying; they come along with this, though, and I’m reminded full well that I don’t give a toss about what I’m supposed to do.

Tom: I think that mainly came from Danny Whatshisface appearing on The Voice: he’s good, but he was very clearly The Backup, and the comparison of him next to Proper Big Names was a bit strange. He’s perfect in the role of “lead singer of middle-of-the-road pop band”, though.

Tim: The verse is dull, sure, but man, the rest of it? Massive intro, strong middle eight, and biggest of all, the chorus. Because what a chorus. It’s big, it’s powerful, it’s…well, I don’t really want to say inspirational, but it’s sure as hell one that makes you want to get up and do stuff.

Tom: I have an issue with the video: this ain’t a Comic Relief or similar single, so filming an expensive pop video among poverty seems like a fairly uncomfortable thing to do.

Tim: Yes, especially when you consider that there’s a whole lot more than just a lack of confidence holding those people back. HOWEVER, back to the music, and while I say that about the inspirationalness, I did for a while wonder what the hell was going on with the big music and the “cause only superhumans can fly” negative vibe, until I looked it up and realised it was “that’s how a superhero learns to fly”, which I’m fairly sure is a good few syllables too many, but never mind.

Tom: Hey, at least it’s not REM. “Call me when you try to wake her up“, indeed.

Tim: Well, indeed. The cynic in me want to point out that “every day, every hour, turn the pain into power” is a seriously wanky motto*, but the rest of me knows that when it’s paired with this music, I really don’t care. (I’d like it to be noted, by the way, that while that same cynic wants to write “mate, with the pain that comes of listening to this, I’d be able to beat up Superman after an hour on repeat” just to be a dick, I’ve stopped him. I can control him.)

Summing up: there are way too many good parts – great parts, in fact – that however annoying I’m meant to find Danny, I’ll be playing this a lot. And not caring at all.

The Script – If You Could See Me Now

Let’s analyse quite how this was both the funniest and most awful thing on TV.

Tim: It’s Danny from The Voice, rapping!

Tom: Oh, blimey. I think you’d get more support if you said “It’s chlamydia!”.

Tim: You say that, and you’re probably right – the studio version’s fairly terrible; discussing that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun, though, as discussing last Friday’s live performance with Graham Norton, which can safely be described as horrifically terrible..

Tim: Now, let’s analyse quite how this was both the funniest and most awful thing on TV that week. Sure, there’s his ‘rapping’, whose agressive tone really, really doesn’t work with the nice guy image he worked up on The Voice.

Tom: At some point he turns into his own hype man too, as his guitarist takes over lead vocal duties, and he’s rejected to… well, dancer?

Tim: Well, exactly. Mostly it’s the, well, choreography, if you can call it that, because what a train wreck that was. Right from the start we have a dilemma in his mind: “should I use my arms as props and demo objects? Or should I wave them around to demonstrate emotion? Oh, bollocks, I’ve pretended I’ve got a tattoo now, so I’ll have to keep going with that, except there’s nothing in the rest of the song that really works like that. Can I grab the mike like I normally do? No, that’ll be obvious that I was unprepared. Well, I guess it’d better be emotion then. Let’s make it INTENSE. Oh, and here’s the chorus, phew! I can be a proper singer and hold the microphone. Hmm. Arms seem to have a habit of waving now; that’ll wear off, though.”

Tom: Hang on, readers, Tim’s off on one.

Tim: “Right, second verse, this isn’t me, I can stand back and relax. Aah, this is nice. OH SHIT, I’m the lead singer, of course I can’t bloody relax! What was I thinking?! Oh GOD, this is awful. Right, let’s just stand here and repeat some of the words for a bit, see if I can string that out. Yep, we’re okay. Although is this a bit dull? Erm, maybe I can wave a bit, and CLAPPING. That works! Right, still dull, I need to do something. I know, I’ll walk around a bit. Check on the drummer, how’s he do— yep, you’re fine. Bass guitar? Also good. Bit more clapping, then. Aaaand, here’s the chorus, made it. Jesus Christ, why did I ever do this. Oh GOD, and now my arms have got a life of their own, I CAN’T STOP THEM WAVING. HELP ME.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that was guest writer Danny from The Voice.

Tom: Thanks.

Tim: You’re welcome.

The Script feat. will.i.am – Hall of Fame

It’s Blatant Not-Quite-Olympic Cash-In Time!

Tom: It’s Blatant Not-Quite-Olympic Cash-In Time! Are you looking for a song that’ll work in the background of montages when you can’t license the official Olympic tracks? Well, has Danny O’Whatshisface—

Tim: O’Donaghue

Tom: —whatever. Has he got a track for you.

Tim: I LIKE THAT A LOT. Except for the video, which is a bit shit.

Tom: In my head, Danny O’Donnelly—

Tim: O’Donaghue

Tom: —whatever. In my head, he spent hours following will.i.am round during downtime on the set of the Voice, pestering him until he finally agreed to guest on a Script track. That’s almost certainly not what happened, though.

Tim: Probably not. But the actual song, I reckon’s pretty good. Sure, it doesn’t end up being as inspirational as it probably wants to be, but it’s decent enough nonetheless. The chorus is a bit of a belter, and the lyrics are the sort of ones that would get you going if you wanted it. When it comes back and the end, different bits all piled on top of each other, that’s just lovely.

Tom: Somehow it seems more like a pale imitation of inspiration, just going through the motions. That said, I started liking Muse’s Olympic single after a few listens, so what do I know?

Tim: Yeah, that was weird.

Tom: The thing is, the most insightful comment I have about this is to continue our occasional rant about how lyric videos – which are only cheap when you compare them to ‘proper’ music videos – still don’t get proofread properly. Apostrophe’s, people. Learn to use them.

Tim: Shame, because because I really like it. (And I see what you did there, with the whole apostrophe thing. It’s good.)

Tom: Thank’s. Other than that: I… I don’t know. I got nothin’. For a track that’s meant to be inspirational, it sure isn’t inspiring me.