Singles reviews - 8th March 2004

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Singles released w/c 8th March 2004

B2K feat. Fabolous - Badaboom
While both B2K and Fabolous have shot into the limelight Stateside, these two teen favourites are slowly but surely getting bigger here too. It's easy to see why; B2K are a friendly enough act with a nice collection of songs. Nothing groundbreaking, but they're filling a gap. Fabolous, meanwhile, may not be the most talented rapper, but he works. Their combined effort "Badaboom" from the "You've Got Served" soundtrack is, as expected, decent; nothing more, nothing less.
(SholasBoy)

Bic Runga - Get Some Sleep
Kiwi artist Bic Runga is hot stuff in her homeland. Her album "Beautiful Collision" has become the biggest New Zealand-made album of all time. This week, she's releasing the first single from that album in the UK, and expect it to flop. I'm patriotic, but Bic lacks the fanbase to make this a substantial hit. Plus, she's actually done a lot better than this.
(Muzikritik)

The Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Without a doubt THE standout cut from the fantastic "Elephunk" album. "Hey Mama" starts as it means to go on, and by the time the first chorus has finished, I challenge anyone not to be shaking their booty in the mirror! The beat is reminiscent of a carnival, and the guest vocals from Tippa Irie add to the dancehall flavour. The Black Eyed Peas would do well to remember, however, that anything they release after this song will be a bit of a let down, as nothing from "Elephunk" can compete with this shakelicious groovefest. They tell us that this is the 'beat that make you move mama', and with this tune, they well and truly mean it!
(Jobbio)
The third single from "Elephunk" might not be as immediate as "Where Is The Love?" or "Shut Up", but it subtly becomes quite addictive after a few listens. "Hey Mama" exemplifies incredibly versatile production, but essentially this hampers the lyrical and vocal content. Maybe they should recruit the Trousersnake again?!
(Paul Matthews)

Despina Vandi - Gia
In my opinion, this is one of the best dance tracks around at the moment. It's been burning dancefloors for the past two years, and finally gets a UK release. Minimum exposure to radio and TV stations means the song will fail to reach its maximum potential (which is none other than topping the chart), but hopefully the club exposure will help it break the Top 20. A cross between Arabian and Greek traditional music, mixed with international beats, makes this a smashing piece, accompanied by brilliant remixes. A must have!
(Phillip P)

Enrique feat. Kelis - Not In Love
Enrique was, until now, one of the world's most boring artists, with a string of formulaic Latin ballads and pop songs. Not anymore. This cutting edge, almost electronic track, features none other than sextress of the minute, Kelis, and is refreshingly new. Perfect for any dancefloor, catchy enough for a young audience, mature enough for the older, you can't go wrong with this track. It's like Madonna using Britney to revive her fanbase, only this might just work!
(SholasBoy)
I'm finding it hard to take this one seriously. Firstly, Kelis is just getting her footing in the big gun's shoes, so why on earth would she collaborate with someone like Enrique? I mean, it's like Lil' Kim lending vocals to a Gareth Gates track. Especially when she has such a small role on the song. Needless to say it's hardly her thing. Then we come to the main man. I'm sorry, but the whole 'rough, tough & sleazy' image just doesn't work! Even the song is fairly average, and in the end it's another standard Enrique single, beefed up for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of Kelis. Was it really worth it?
(Lachlan Sutherland)

Fountains Of Wayne - Stacey's Mom
American outfit Fountains Of Wayne had a huge hit on their hands last year in their home country with this brilliant slice of pop/rock about a boy who lusts after his girlfriend's mum! The song of course is most enjoyable whilst watching the video, in which Kiwi supermodel Rachel Hunter plays the scorching hot title character!
(Muzikritik)
Ever had a crush on an older woman? Perhaps your friend's mother? Fountains of Wayne know that feeling well, and they've written this song about a girl (whom they've named Stacy) and her mother, who's got it going on. It's quite catchy, easy to sing along to, and that should make it a hit.
(FreakyFlyBry)

Jet - Look What You've Done
The Aussie rockers are back with the third single from their "Get Born" album. This is a very nice ballad that starts off with a piano that sounds distinctly like Mercury Rev's "Goddess On A Highway". "Look What You've Done" shows that Jet are not just a one trick pony. They have proved that they're perfectly capable of making both hard-hitting rock songs and slower ballads. Top stuff, but where's Chris Chester's hat in the video? I thought it was glued to his head!
(Darren Stevens)

Jennifer Lopez - Baby I Love U!
In the case of 'what went wrong?' Jennifer Lopez may be close to the top of the list. What went wrong? Well, for one thing, she brought out the self-obsessed "Jenny From The Block", and thinking that she can make up for that is a little off the mark. This song is weakly produced. The R Kelly mix hardly helps at all, and the entire track is drawn out with bland vocals and a little too much backing. Not good, although it's better than "Jenny From The Block". But then, so are most songs...
(Mr Kwes)
Backlash target Jennifer Lopez is probably hoping to put the mess that was her film "Gigli" behind her, which is why I can't figure out why the lead single from the soundtrack is being released. The original version is simply boring, the worst track from the "This Is Me... Then" album. The R Kelly featured remix makes it nearly bearable though.
(Muzikritik)

Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
It's been a long hiatus, but Sarah McLachlan returns with her formula of angst-ridden, thought-provoking material. Instead of branching out and experimenting with sounds, she's decided to stick with what she does best. This is a little disappointing considering it took so long for a new release, and I admit I did expect something more ground-breaking. "Fallen" is nice, don't get me wrong, but once you've heard a Sarah McLachlan track, you've heard 'em all!
(Lachlan Sutherland)

My Red Cell - Knock Me Down EP
If you love the White Stripes, you'll like this. In fact, you could easily mistake this for a White Stripes song, with its bluesy guitar riff and vocals very much in the vein of Jack White's. "Knock Me Down" is a brilliant single, and with their debut album out soon, it wouldn't surprise me if they break through into the mainstream before the year is over.
(Darren Stevens)

Stellastarr* - My Coco
Where did it all go wrong for Stellastarr*? I loved "Somewhere Across Forever", but for some reason I just can't seem to get into this song. There's nothing about it that makes it stand out - it's basically little more than boring. Hopefully future releases will be of a higher standard.
(Darren Stevens)

The Vines - Ride
Lock up your doors! The Aussie rockers are back in a whirlwind of smashed guitars. The lead single from the new album sounds strangely familiar - it's a typical punky, indie-rock song, like something Nirvana would have done. It's short, instantly catchy, well produced, and Craig screams a lot. If there's any justice, it should do very well for them. Their last album was a big disappointment after a few great singles... we won't have to wait long to find out if the new one will be the same. I certainly hope for the best.
(John M)
'Ride with me' is the message Craig Nicholls sings, but what he really means is 'smack me in the face because I'm the most annoying person in music'. "Ride" is the first single from the new album "Winning Days", and to be honest, it's their best single to date. It's catchy, and Mr Nicholls doesn't scream the lyrics like there's something wrong with him. For that alone, I have to give it a good rating.
(Darren Stevens)

Other singles released this week

Amp Fiddler - I Believe In You
Aquabox - Sweet Clarity
Archie And The Instincts - Burning Heart EP
Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance
Graham Coxon - Freakin' Out
Jamie Cullum - These Are The Days / Frontin'
Gomez - Catch Me Up
Marques Houston feat. Joe Budden And Pied Piper - Clubbin'
In Flames - The Quiet Place
Mellow - Fantastic
Nic Armstrong - Broken Mouth Blues EP
Northern Heightz - Look At Us
Phixx - Love Revolution
Lionel Richie - Just For You
Armin Van Buuren feat. Justine Suissa - Burned With Desire
The Vaults - No Sleep No Need

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