January's Singles Review
The Ting Tings – Hang it Up
The Ting Ting’s first single for three years is a rousing return to form for a group that had seemed dangerously near to becoming irrelevant.
The Ting Tings have retained the spunk and energy that helped them explode onto the scene in 2008, while adding a resilience and depth to their sound that was often absent from their debut album.
Hang It Up is a rousing, and perhaps most importantly fun single, that has an urgency lacking in several group’s debuts.
The Big Pink – Hit The Ground
No doubt anxious not to be labelled one hit wonders after the runaway success of Dominoes in 2009, The Big Pink’s second single from new album Future This is a polished, if unexciting anthem.
The similarities to Dominoes are obvious, and more than a little disappointing, although it seems churlish to criticize a band for sticking to what they are good at.
A solid release, but one unlikely to win the two-piece many new fans.
Lana Del Ray – Born To Die
The title of both Lana Del Ray’s major label debut album, and its title single hint at a level of melancholy that seems ever present in the American singer songwriter’s output thusfar.
At over four minutes long, Born To Die seems to style itself as a minor epic - in that respect it doesn’t disappoint, and is laden with brooding huskiness throughout.
It is hardly catchy, nor is it a particularly easy listen, but perhaps even more than her debut single Video Games, actually manages to live up to the hype.
The Overtones – Say What I Feel
Oddly labelled by Wikipedia as a ‘doo-wop boy band’, The Overtones lack the attitude and edge of some of their contemporaries, but are able to boast a set of undeniably fine voices and a decent helping of style.
Say What I Feel is neat and tidy, perhaps uncomfortably so, but is also cheerful enough to put a smile on most faces – even if it is a brief one.
Article by Joshua Tait
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