Singles Reviews

Is It Any Wonder? - Keane (5/5)

Keane's first single from upcoming Under the Iron Sea retains the bands tight piano-driven sound, but amps it up louder and faster than anything we've previously heard from them. "Is It Any Wonder?" also features electric guitar, which was completely absent from first album Hopes & Fears. While upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable, this song has an undercurrent of the political--namely disillusionment with one's leaders (i.e. Blair and Labour). Quite quite good.

Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland (5/5)

Wow! I liked Nelly Furtado's "Turn Off The Light" and "Try," but nothing she's put out comes close to being as enjoyable as this single. Promiscuous plays out like a flirtation between its two horny performers--Canadian pop singer Furtado and American rapper Timbaland. The relentless beat underscores a happy fusion of hip-hop of '80s electro. It's not unlike a lot of what Gwen Stefani's last album was about, but it manages to be much more enjoyable. I think we have our summer of '06 hit.

Everybody's Gone to War - Nerina Pallot (5/5)

Politics has become a recurring theme in recent pop releases, none more so than in Nerina Pallot's "Everybody's Gone to War," a mid-tempo, pop/rock number that's chock full of great lines and hooks. "I've got a friend--he's a pure-bread killing machine...I think he might be dead by Christmas." Sounds dark--and it is--but it works. The British single begs easy comparison to KT Tunstall, but still delivers an effective and enjoyable pop tune.

I'm With Stupid - Pet Shop Boys (4.5/5)

I used to be big Pet Shop Boys fan, but for the last few years, they haven't been that interesting. This could change with their forthcoming album, Fundamental. "I'm With Stupid," its first single, reaches back to their late '80s/early '90s sound that made their albums Behaviour and Very their best. In doing so, they've put out their best single in a very long time. It's also quite political, as a reference to the relationship between Blair and Bush.

Up All Night - Matt Willis (4/5)

Former Busted member Matt Willis delivers a great pop single, charged with pulsing '80s keyboards and electric guitars. The Busted sound rarely did it for me, but this is great fun.

I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker With Flowers in My Hair - Sandi Thom (4/5)

Sandi Thom is a British pop artist whose fame was self-generated by becoming one of the early internet-only broadcast artists. Now she's got a legit release, a short, sweet, pop number with nostalgia for '69 and '77--when "revolution" was in the air. Ignore the obvious error that punk rockers have dye and gel--not flowers--in their hair. This is a fun first release.