Singles reviews - 2nd July 2001

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Singles released w/c 2nd July 2001

Bellefire - Perfect Bliss
Already a No. 2 hit in their homeland, "Perfect Bliss" is the opening salvo from the latest Louis Walsh-backed pop combo. These girls also count none other than Bono among their fans - he was so impressed with their version of "All I Want Is You" that he gave them permission to record it - all other requests to record that track were turned down. "Perfect Bliss" is an understated and quietly catchy track that will hang around the charts for ages.
(Neil Fanning)
Hmmm, what do we have here? Four Irish girls. Not B*Witched? Then who? Bellefire are set to rock the charts with "Perfect Bliss", a tender ballad that has a B*Witching sound. This is one of those one off songs that do well, but the follow up never seems to match that success. They've already toured with Westlife and are releasing their album later this year, so they'll be quite busy - good luck to them!
(JamesCarter)

Blink 182 - The Rock Show
When will this band get the message, i.e. that their songs are getting worse with every release? This song is absolutely terrible compared to their best single, "All The Small Things". I really hope this song fails terribly, and until Blink 182 come up with some more original, ground-breaking stuff, I'm not interested.
(Matt Wilson)

Damage - So What If I
Already on the fourth single from their excellent sophomore album, Damage keep coming up with classy, soulful songs. This one has summer hit written all over it, and includes a fantastic video. When it comes to good R&B tunes, Damage show that they can do them just as well, if not better, than their US counterparts.
(Angie Berg)
A slightly surprising choice for the fourth single from "Since You've Been Gone" - I was expecting an upbeat number or one of the more "obvious" ballads - but the track has been given a sharper beat and some slight re-vocalling. The video, another fun one, also has a Mis-Teeq style "speed-up-to-the-remix" section, so the boys could include yet another of the tight dance routines they're becoming famed for. Might not score too highly in the charts, but as ever from Damage, a good song, sung well.
(Janet Valentine)

Fixate - 24/7
This new boy band from the UK features non other than ex-solo "star" Justin from BBC Children's programme "The Fame Game". He seems more suited to being in a group and looks set to get far more success this time around. Looking beyond the usual muscle bound vanity, comes an almost credible (one of them plays guitar!) urban pop tune which should do reasonably well in the charts. Not brilliant but worth a listen.
(CJB)
Do we need another boy band? No. Especially if they are as bad as this lot! The single "24/7" is very bland, failing either to be an uptempo pop stomper or an emotional ballad, but sadly falling somewhere in between the two. It'll probably fail to make a big chart impact, which is a good thing.
(matthew_dixon)

OPM - Heaven Is A Halfpipe
I think these people may just possibly enjoy skateboarding! The skating community has not had an anthem released for many years, but this will be massive. In their eyes, the normal heaven does not allow skating, so they've created a new heaven which is... well, half a concrete pipe. Ideal for skating in, whilst you're listening to... well, this song. Heaven may actually not be a halfpipe, but this is certainly a heavenly song that has to get to the top and usurp Hear'Say QUICKLY!
(matthew_dixon)

Jessica Simpson - Irresistible
More like Britney than ever, Jessica Simpson shakes off the innocence of her last album to emerge with the title track from her second LP "Irresistible". To be honest we've heard it all before, but as far as this sound goes, it's not a bad effort! What does make it a must-buy is the So So Def remix featuring Lil' Bow Wow. Yet another re-working of the Luniz hit "I Got 5 On It", this style suits Miss Simpson's voice and shoots her into the realms of Mariah status.
(CJB)
No, this is not a re-make of the old Cathy Dennis single, but is the first single from Jessica Simpson's second album. The title track sees Jessica with an edgier, more mature sound and even has her sounding very Britney in parts of the song. Already doing very well over in the US, with two versions showing on MTV, I'm sure that it will do just as well in the UK.
(Jasen Rian)

Weezer - Hash Pipe
One of a number of rocky singles out this week is the new release from Weezer. They've been pretty quiet since 1995, and whilst they might not do quite as well as their previous No. 12 peak of "Buddy Holly", Top 20 should be possible. The song's certainly had plenty of airplay, as has its video, featuring sumo wrestlers.
(matthew_dixon)

Wheatus - A Little Respect
This is an absolutely amazing song! It's a cover version of Erasure's "A Little Respect", released back in 1988. Wheatus have really done the song proud, adding a rockier sound to it. If you liked Wheatus' massive debut single "Teenage Dirtbag" I'm sure you'll love "A Little Respect".
(Emily)
What do you do when out of the blue you have a massive hit? Cover an all time classic. Atomic Kitten's version of the Bangles' "Eternal Flame" is out in a few weeks, but for now, here's Erasure's "A Little Respect" done by Wheatus. "Teenage Dirtbag" will go down as one of the best songs of the year, but this is maybe not quite as good - although it fits the band perfectly. The original made No. 4, and this will probably equal that.
(matthew_dixon)

Other singles released this week

The Beatnuts - No Escapin' This
The Beta Band - Broke / Won
BetaBox - Young, Free & Single
Jason Downs feat. Milk - Cats In The Cradle - Revenue Remix
Echobass - You Are The Weakest Link
Feeder - Turn
Haven - Beautiful Thing
Kings Of Convenience - Failure
Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder
Relish - You I'm Thinking Of
Roger Sanchez - Another Chance
Selena Vs X.Men - Give It Up
Ben Shaw feat. Adele Holness - So Strong
Skinny - Morning Light
Snake River Conspiracy - How Soon Is Now
Sparklehorse - Gold Day

The ratings explained:
 - awful, unbearable!;    - pretty poor effort;     - average, passable;      - good stuff;       - awesome, love it!