Album Review: Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby

March 8, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 4 Comments

Believe it or not, it’s been nine years since Avril Lavigne became the youngest ever female soloist to achieve a UK No1 album, but if latest single ‘What The Hell’ is anything to go by, she still has the fun streak of that fresh-faced 17 year-old from the early ‘Complicated’ days. And complicated she has indeed proven to be; progressing with every album from light pop-rock (‘Let Go’) to over-emotional angst (‘Under My Skin’) to bubblegum punk (‘The Best Damn Thing’) and now, it seems, back again. Don’t let that glorious lead single put you off – fourth LP ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ is quite serious indeed.

Reliable hit-makers Max Martin and Shellback are given the obligatory handful of tracks to work their magic with; but it’s Lavigne and, bizarrely, ex-husband Deryck Whibley who take the reigns for a lot of the rest.  The result is an album very much in two halves: the first is an extremely listenable radio-friendly assault of pop-rock that falls somewhere between the balls-out madness of ‘Girlfriend’ and the outright misery of ‘My Happy Ending’; while the second is a procession of “serious” light-rock tracks about falling in and out of favour with the love of your life.

Inevitably the first half wins out, with ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Smile’ proving two particular highlights. The Whibley-produced ‘Push’ is also an early-album favourite, and probably an early frontrunner for Single #2; but that’s not to say the second half isn’t without its moments of genius. ‘Not Enough’ in particular is a wallow-a-long favourite, and closer ‘Goodbye’ is a similarly emotionally-charged standout. In fact, aside from the dodgy mid-album filler ‘Everybody Hurts’, every track in its own right is rather impressive. The only issues are in the product as a whole; the rear end loaded with teary-eyed balladry that does, on first listen at least, tend to blur into one.

Perhaps ditching one or two of the straight-faced tracks in favour of a couple more ‘What The Hell’-like anthems would have been a good idea, but this is clearly an important album for Lavigne. After a Kelly Clarkson ‘My December’ style dispute with the record label over a lack of chart-friendly hits-in-waiting, this extremely personal collection is, at times, quite a sad one to sit through. But Avril is a true artist; perhaps not yet the accomplished songwriter she strives to be, but certainly a truthful lyricist who knows her way around a catchy melody. Pink streaks of hair aside, this is one mature young lady who can still teach the Ke$has and Jessie Js a thing or two about emotional resonance.

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Album Review: Alexis Jordan – Alexis Jordan

March 3, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 2 Comments

“After competing on an international talent show and scoring a UK hit single with a dance-pop gem, you might say Alexis Jordan is this year’s Agnes,” said we of the America’s Got Talent alumnus at the back end of 2010. “Hopefully though, Alexis will be able to do what Agnes didn’t and avoid being a one-hit wonder.” Thankfully, our concerns proved needless. Unlike Agnes, Jordan has recently scored a second Top 10 single, and this eponymous début album looks set to enjoy similar success.

‘Happiness’ and ‘Good Girl’ may pave the way for light-club tuneage but in actual fact it’s much more of a ‘simple’ pop collection than you might expect. In fact, this is perhaps what you might get if you crossed Jordin Sparks with a more innocent Rihanna. Producer Stargate’s trademark keyboard tricks are lathered left, right and centre; and the end result is an album that might be among the least groundbreaking records ever released, but a pretty enjoyable one at that. ‘Hush Hush’ is a mid-album anthem, the heavy synths of ‘High Road’ would have sounded right at home on Gabriella Cilmi’s ‘Ten’ album, and ‘Say That’ is an ever-so-slightly retro mid-tempo slushie that would make an unsurprising choice for release as a single.

It jogs along in consistently likeable and toe-tap-able fashion, but it’s not until the last two tracks that the producers calm down a bit and let Alexis’ voice speak for itself. ‘Laying Around’ has some odd verse lyrics but a really quite lovely chorus, and finale ‘The Air That I Breathe’ strips accompaniment down to just an acoustic guitar and suggests that there’s still a lot of potential in this girl.

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Album Review: Jessie J – Who You Are

March 2, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 6 Comments

The rise and rise of Jessie “J” Cornish is quite unlike anything the music industry has seen for years. Debut single ‘Do It Like A Dude’ was released at the back end of 2010 to a rather modest chart placement; following which came a burst of One To Watch accolades, heaps and heaps of publicity, and airplay support from pretty much all mainstream radio stations. The song eventually found its way up to No2, sophomore release ‘Price Tag’ became an instant No1, and now, months earlier than originally planned, we have début LP ‘Who You Are’.

Cornish has been compared on numerous occasions to a British Katy Perry, and the similarities are rife here: the occasional self-empowerment anthem (‘Stand Up’), the occasional tongue-in-cheek monster hit (‘Do It Like A Dude’), and the occasional stroke of absolute pop genius (‘Price Tag’). But, as with both of Mrs Brand’s albums, at times the set is either lacking in substance or jarringly over-doing it. Somewhere, for example, there’s a really affecting song waiting to be heard in ‘Big White Room’, but melodramatic show-off vocals just make it irritating and scupper any possibility of emotional resonance. Elsewhere, early-album tracks ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and ‘Abracadabra’ get things off to an underwhelming start (particularly as they have to follow ‘Price Tag’) and ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ walks a thin tightrope between triumphant and smug.

Still, there’s plenty of fun to be had, particularly on the second half of the disc. ‘Rainbow’ would sound great on the radio, The Voice gets a chance to run wild on ‘Mamma Knows Best’, and ‘L.O.V.E’ would sound absoloutley brilliant on tour. In fact ‘Who You Are’ does generally show all the signs of a cracking songwriter with one of the industry’s most impressive vocal ranges. But in spite of her ability to impress, she’s never really that likeable. That, we can only assume, will come when she learns to reign in the vocal acrobatics and let less be more.

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Album Review: Adele – 21

January 23, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 9 Comments

UK Release: 24 January 2011 / Label: XL / Tracklisting: 1. Rolling In The Deep; 2. Rumour Has It; 3. Turning Tables; 4. Don't You Remember; 5. Set Fire To The Rain; 6. He Won't Go; 7. Take It All; 8. I'll Be Waiting; 9. One and Only; 10. Lovesong; 11. Someone Like You

2008 was the year of the soulful female. Duffy sold albums by the fleet-load, Gabriella Cilmi became the undisputed airplay queen, and Amy Macdonald made her breakthrough from Radio 2 sweetheart to mainstream mega-seller. But fast-forward a couple of years, and where are they now? Duffy can’t get a major single in the Top 40, Cilmi’s seeing her electropop efforts slip by virtually unnoticed, and Macdonald is having far more success over in Germany.

But wait! There’s another! Back in ’08, Adele Atkins was the first ever Critics’ Choice BRIT Award recipient, and on the back of a couple of Grammy awards, an ‘X Factor’-endorsed Bob Dylan cover that’s still selling strongly after three years and, of course, a voice that puts most of her contemporaries to shame; she’s back for a long overdue sophomore album. In a word, it’s beautiful.

’21′ is a set of tracks that demonstrate an emotional maturity far beyond the Londoner’s years, with a voice capable of being both seismically powerful and affectingly vulnerable at the same time. And although there are middle-finger salutes to dickhead ex-boyfriends, the aces are the tracks that fondly celebrate something that was, for a while, quite special. ‘Don’t You Remember’ for one is a heartbreaking plea for a drifting lover to recollect the better days, and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ is uplifting in its optimism (“I’ll be waiting when you’re ready to love me again”).

Elsewhere, six-minute epic ‘One and Only’ is a sweepingly powerful love song, ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ perfectly captures that feeling of realising the one you love has fucked it all up, and the triumphant lead single ‘Rolling In The Deep’ is a big, brave break-up anthem that, for all its non-commercial roots, could easily end up being one of the best singles of 2011.

But as outstanding as the first ten tracks are, they have nothing on the exceptional finale. On ‘Someone Like You’, Adele is backed by nothing more than a piano and sings one of the most heart-wrenching break-up ballads in recent memory, wishing her love all the best and declaring “never mind, I’ll find someone like you”. It’s a track that will be covered on many a future talent show, will be featured on many an emotional montage, and will leave listeners in relationships a tiny bit excited to break up and cry along.

Shunning the current craze of decorating everything with electro-pop flourishes and guest-rappers, production here is wisely kept relatively stripped-back, leaving that beautiful voice to do all the work and that incredible knack for penning an emotive pop song to shine through. ’19′ split critics down the middle, but make no mistake: ’21′ is genuinely amazing.

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Film Review: Black Swan

January 23, 2011 in Film, Reviews with 1 Comment

UK Release: 21 January 2010 / Director: Darren Aronofsky / Screenwriters: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John MacLaughlin / Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Winona Ryder

Nina the ballerina has landed the role of a lifetime – the lead in a re-working of  ’Swan Lake’. But whereas her virginal innocence makes for a perfect White Swan, she’s going to need to mentally unhinge herself a tad to pull off the Black Swan as well.

And mentally unhinge herself she does, thanks in part to the plethora of loons around her. The artistic director (Vincent Cassell) uses sexual harassment as a way of breaking her down, her pushy mother (Barbara Hershey) freaks out if a specially-purchased celebratory cake is turned down, has-been Beth (Winona Ryder) bitterly crashes and burns her way into a forced retirement, and new girl Lily (Mila Kunis) introduces alcohol, drugs, and a threatening antithesis to Nina’s timid personality.

Don’t let the pretty dancing throw you off – this is a dark, disturbing psychological thriller that will split the commercial audience right down the middle. Director Darren Aronofsky’s handheld-style film-making is initially nauseating but thoroughly captivating; even his way of making the camera stalk Nina to and from work is slightly unnerving, and the score he created in collaboration with Clint Mansell is gloriously melodramatic at all times. The script isn’t a particular strength, but to the untrained eye the choreography is consistently impressive and the cast are of an exceptional standard.

Portman in particular is completely without fault; her vulnerability makes the downward spiral all the more horrifying, and with a Golden Globe victory already under her belt there’s a good chance she’ll need an acceptance speech ready for the Academy Awards, too. Kunis also deserves major credit for a totally different but equally outstanding performance as friendly rival Lily, but Ryder’s clichéd Beth sticks out for essentially being a drunk, bitter stock character.

There will be some who hate ‘Black Swan’, and there will be others who hail it as a modern masterpiece. Not to sound indecisive, but we’re completely at a loss as to our own conclusions. Is it one you’ll want to see again? Unlikely. Is the thought process behind it abundantly clear? Not particularly, no. But be it for the performances, the cinematography, or the flashes of psychological terror; there’ll be very few who aren’t completely exhilarated.

Film Review: Morning Glory

January 22, 2011 in Film, Reviews with 1 Comment

UK Release: 21 January 2011 / Cert: 12A / Director: Roger Michell / Screenplay: Aline Brosh McKenna / Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson

Ever since ‘Mean Girls’, we’ve been firm believers that Rachel McAdams is Hollywood’s most underrated leading lady. A woman of few projects, she’s aced films as varied as psychological thrillers (‘Red Eye’), tear-jerkers (‘The Notebook’), outright comedies (‘The Wedding Crashers’) and, heck, even the otherwise average ‘Sherlock Holmes’. And if there’s any justice, Morning Glory will do for her the same favours that ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ did for Anne Hathaway, and propel her to a well-deserved place on the A-list.

In fact, it’s ‘Prada’ screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna who’s behind this similarly workplace-oriented comedy; and with ‘Notting Hill’ director Roger Michell behind the camera, the early signs are great. And thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint. This is a smart, fast-paced, often laugh-out-loud affair that finds itself somewhere between the newsroom hilarity of ‘Anchorman’ and the heart of ‘Bridget Jones’.

Fired from her job at a local early-early-morning news show, Becky (McAdams) lands a job at the sinking ‘Daybreak’, a national daytime TV bomb not unlike our own like-titled ITV1 disaster. Charged with saving the show from diabolical ratings, Becky ropes in ex-evening news snob Mike Pomeroy (contractually obliged to accept, despite his loathing of the genre) and sets her sights on lifting the show’s popularity out the gutter.

Pleasingly, even though it opens with a disastrous date and finds Becky  juggling boyfriend with job, this is no romcom. And reduced to a mere subplot, the romantic storyline really works – it’s disarmingly cute, but not sickly. McAdams and Patrick Wilson make an adorable couple, but it’s so refreshing to see that the protagonist’s primary conquest is not Mr Right, but a major bump in TV ratings.

Harrison Ford is on top form as Pomeroy, and his sparring with co-presenter Dianne Keaton is just brilliant. But it’s all about McAdams, who really does steal the show. In her hands, Becky is kooky, adorable and funny where many other actresses would make her annoying. She carries the movie almost effortlessly and makes it impossible not to will her to succeed. If her impulsive sacking of a creepy presenter within minutes of starting the job doesn’t make you want to give her a massive high-five, nothing will.

Truthfully, the film doesn’t really find its feet until after a ropey opening, and yes, of course there is an element of predictability to it as well. But with a clever, grown-up script and some brilliant performances at work, ‘Morning Glory’ has something really special about it. When the end credits bring with them an overwhelming feeling of disappointment that that’s it, you know youve had a blast.

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Album Review: Emma’s Imagination – Stand Still

January 16, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 0 Comments

UK Release: 10th January 2010 | Label: Future | Tracklisting: 1. This Day; 2. Soul of Oceans; 3. Brighter Greener; 4. Drive; 5. Focus; 6. Puddy Muddle; 7. Faerie Lights; 8. Daisy Train; 9. Falling Slowly; 10. Keep

It was a little rotten of Sky1 to announce the demise of ‘Must Be The Music’ during champion Emma Gillespie’s album campaign, but you can’t blame the Scottish songbird – stage name Emma’s Imagination – for the haste with which her début LP has been assembled. It’s only been a few months since she won the doomed talent show, but since being snapped up by Gary Barlow’s Future Records she’s been hard at work readying an album before the show’s handful of viewers forgot about her.

As such, only six tracks on the album are new; the others being  two covers and of course the two singles released during the show. Gillespie is listed as the lone songwriter for all eight original songs, and though she clearly has a gift for folky adult-pop, there’s still room for growth – something which would have perhaps come with more time, but should make for an interesting follow-up album if this one does the business. ‘Daisy Train’ is a particularly likeable effort.

Flash-in-the-pan Top 10 hits ‘This Day’ and ‘Focus’ have both been given glossy makeovers; the former benefiting from some summery production by Martin Terefe but the latter suffering from an over-epic string arrangement that hinders the haunting effect of Emma’s soft vocals and melancholy guitar strumming. In terms of the covers, ‘Drive’ is easily the standout. A little-known 1997 album track by New Zealand-based songbird Bic Runga, it suits Emma’s vocals perfectly, making for one of the album’s most beautiful moments.

Pleasant and consistently charming, ‘Stand Still’ is a thoroughly likeable set of Tunstall-like mature pop; unlikely to stand out at the end of 2011 as one of the year’s best, but certainly a promising arrival for a genuinely talented musician. As long as Emma avoids treating the album’s title as an instruction and continues to develop her own sound, her next effort could be something quite special.

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Album Review: Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops and Hooligans

January 10, 2011 in Music, Reviews with 5 Comments

UK Release: 17 January 2011 / Label: Atlantic / Tracklisting: 1. Grenade; 2. Just The Way You Are (Amazing); 3. Our First Time; 4. Runaway Baby; 5. The Lazy Song; 6. Marry You; 7. Talking To The Moon; 8. Liquor Store Blues; 9. Count On Me; 10. The Other Side (with B.o.B. and Cee-Lo Green)

Much like Katy Perry or Jessie J, Peter Gene Hernandez’s ascent to stardom hasn’t happened overnight. Before becoming the Bruno Mars we’ve come to love over the past year or so, he was penning tunes and twiddling knobs for various international artists for quite some time. But let’s not be put off by the fact he lists Sugababes’ ‘Get Sexy’ as one of his biggest writing credits – this guy knows his way around a catchy pop hook, and ‘Doo Wops and Hooligans’ is a neat, sweet showcase of his cheeky charm.

And he’s certainly a lot cheekier than his singles would have you believe. ‘Runaway Baby’ and ‘The Lazy Song’ are uber-confident soul-pop toe-tappers, with lyrics including “[I'll] find a real nice girl, have some really nice sex, and she’s gonna scream out ‘this is great’”. But that’s nothing compared to ‘Our First Time’, an ode to consummating a relationship that sticks out for perhaps giving a little too much information. Generally however Mars’ hitherto unseen mischievous side is as likeable as, for example in ‘The Lazy Song’, “lounging on the couch chilling in my Snuggie”.

But putting that confident charm to one side, when it comes to relationships you can’t accuse the guy of not chucking himself in at the deep end. If he’s not drowning his ball’n'chain in compliments (‘Just The Way You Are (Amazing)’), he’s either suggesting a whimsical marriage (‘Marry You’) or slamming her for not hypothetically jumping in front of a train (‘Grenade’). The good news is it keeps itself on the right side of melodramatic, but if the more lovey-dovey tracks are too sickly sweet for some, the dark anguish on masterpieces like ‘Grenade’ and ‘Liquor Store Blues’ will surely hit the spot.

The bog-standard edition only offers ten tracks, but the vast majority are gleefully repeatable. The Jason Mraz-like vow of friendship on ‘Count On Me’ is particularly begging for release as a single, and if the B.o.B./Cee-Lo cameos on ‘The Other Side’ don’t keep your toes tapping for the full three minutes forty-two seconds, nothing will.

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Film Review: The King’s Speech

January 9, 2011 in Film, Reviews with 0 Comments

UK Release: 7 January 2011 / Cert 12A / Director: Tom Hooper / Screenplay: David Seidler / Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce

Born to a father desperate to be feared, a mother with little hint of emotion and an older brother with attention-grabbing charisma, life would be tough enough. Add the extra complication of this family being no less than the royal family, you can understand why George V’s second son Albert struggled throughout his life with a stammer; the treating of which is explored in this touching and surprisingly funny royal bromance by Tom Hooper.

Geoffrey Rush is Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who strikes an unlikely friendship with Albert (Bertie), and it’s from him that the unlikely comedy arises. Logue has no problem with over-stepping the mark and treating His Royal Highness like an ordinary, everyday citizen; an attitude which gets the pair off to a rocky start but, inevitably, proves successful as treatment progresses. Rush is a delight, especially in his scenes as a secret failed actor; and Helena Bonham Carter cements her National Treasure status with an “awwwwwwfully” good turn as Albert’s missus Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother.

But, as you’ve no doubt heard, this is all about Colin Firth. His performance is beyond worthy of all the awards buzz; the portrayal of Albert (eventually George VI) going far deeper than a difficulty in stringing a sentence together. Every word he struggles to utter is lined with a dignified desperation, and it’s a testament to his world-class performance that a late scene in which he stands in a quiet room in front of a microphone is so tense a climax that it is to ‘The King’s Speech’ what the massive fuck-off battle was to ‘Avatar’.

Despite the fantastic script (for all the stammering it flows remarkably well),  ’The King’s Speech’ is essentially a slightly predictable crowd-pleaser, which may result in Best Picture near-misses to films like ‘The Social Network’ or even ‘Inception’. But, as with ‘The Blind Side‘ last year, it’s a film all about the feel-good factor and a powerhouse lead. Firth was a serial-nominee for ‘A Single Man’, but there’ll be royal scandal to match the Sarah Ferguson fallout if this performance doesn’t finally put the big trophies on his mantelpiece.


 

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Top 15 Albums of 2010

December 27, 2010 in Music, Reviews with 6 Comments

Now we’re just about over the sheer excitement of our Top 50 singles of the year (missed it? Start here), the time has come to glance back at the year’s 15 best long-players.

Have we missed any classics off the list? It might be one we didn’t even hear (the shame!), so drop a comment at the bottom of the page. Honourable mentions go to Take That, Kylie, Charlotte Church, Alesha Dixon, Olly Murs, Robyn and The Hoosiers; who would have been included had we been bothered to extend beyond a Top 15.

15. Ke$ha – ‘Animal’
February, Peak No8
Kesha Rose Sebert – that’s Ke$ha to us – was reportedly chosen to provide the vocals on Flo Rida’s ‘Right Round’ after being overheard belting out one of her own tunes in a nearby studio. On the basis of ‘Animal’ we can’t honestly say we agree that singing is her forte, but in this case it literally couldn’t matter any less. ‘Animal’ is an assault of attitude-packed electro-pop, including the legendary single ‘Tik Tok’ and the rather adorable ‘Your Love Is My Drug’. Admittedly the novelty wears off towards the end of the disc, but tracks like the unexpectedly vulnerable ‘Hungover’ inject a shot of Genuine Emotion into proceedings, and we’re really excited for the ‘Cannibal’ extension, due in the UK in early 2011.

14. Example – ‘Won’t Go Quietly’
June, Peak No4
Elliot Gleave (EG… e.g… Example… get it?) trod the well-worn path between the urban and pop worlds to create ‘Won’t Go Quietly’, an album packed with summer anthems including the fantastic singles ‘Kickstarts’, ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ and ‘Last Ones Standing’. Particular favourites are the brilliantly restrained ‘When The Sun Comes Up’ and mid-album anthem ‘Millionnaires’, which should by all means have been released as a single. Despite being occasionally too urban for pop fans and too pop for urban fans, Gleave does on the whole manage to unite the two genres rather well, and this was a real summer must-have.
Read our original review of ‘Won’t Go Quietly’

13. The Wanted – ‘The Wanted’
October, Peak No4
We’ll probably never understand the hype around JLS, so imagine our surprise when we found this self-titled début from The Wanted surprisingly likeable. Singles ‘All Time Low’ and ‘Lose My Mind’ are the runaway favourites , but don’t overlook the late-album brilliance of ‘Personal Soldier’ or the classic boyband ballad ‘Replace Your Heart’ either. They may be rushing straight on to album number two already, but be sure to give this triumphant début a spin while the ink’s still wet.
Read our original review of ‘The Wanted’

12. Rihanna – ‘Loud’
November, Peak No2
Good Lord do we prefer ‘Loud’ to ‘Rated R’. Yes, the latter was an epic journey into gritty bleakness, but ‘Loud’ is just so much more fun. Even though RiRi herself never troubles her own notepad on this LP, the songwriters in command do brilliant jobs on tracks like the Avril-sampling ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’, R’n'B ballad ‘Fading’ and Nicki Minaj collab ‘Raining Men’. A couple of tracks misfire – ‘California King Bed’ for example is forgettable down-tempo crass – but Rihanna is on surprisingly strong vocal form here, especially on the long-awaited sequel to ‘Love The Way You Lie’. Play it Loud.
Read our original review of ‘Loud’

11. One Night Only – ‘One Night Only’
August, Peak No36
Commercial success wasn’t really on the cards for ONO this time around, but their eponymous second album was a real treat. Much more of an identity had been found, with some proper stadium choruses and a real newfound maturity in the songwriting. Single ‘Say You Don’t Want It’ is as catchy as their 2008 breakthrough ‘Just For Tonight’, but ‘Chemistry’ out-anthems it with some roof-raising vocals from George Craig and, by contrast, ‘Never Be The Same’ is a haunting Keane-like tune that adds another string to the quintet’s bow.

10. Cheryl Cole – ‘Messy Little Raindrops’
October, Peak No1
Credit for this should probably go to the brilliant team of producers rather than the vocalist, but Cheryl did pull out her A-game in 2010 with an album that trumped the mediocre ’3 Words’ by a country mile. Lead single ‘Promise This’ was the year’s ultimate grower, Travie McCoy collaboration ‘Yeah Yeah’ is a club classic in waiting, and ‘Happy Tears’ is a disarmingly relevant track about leaving a cheater. For the real highlight though, be sure to YouTube/Spotify final track ‘Waiting’; co-written by Kelis and sampling Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’, it’s a euphoric dance-pop gem that could maybe be the best track that Chezza’s put her solo name to yet.
Read our original review of ‘Messy Little Raindrops’

09. Joe McElderry – ‘Wide Awake’
October, Peak No3
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Poor Joe. ‘Wide Awake’ may have been the most pre-ordered disc by an ‘X Factor’ male ever, but in chart terms it didn’t really make for a long-lasting stint. One brief appearance in the Top 3 and suddenly it had taken up residence at the wrong end of the Top 100. What a shame, as this is, on majority, a really good album. Singles ‘Ambitions’ and ‘Someone Wake Me Up’ are both brilliant, Nerina Pallot cover ‘Real Late Starter’ is an unexpected triumph, and the Fray-like title track is surprisingly moving. Check out also the Uncle Kraker cover ‘Smile’ for an uplifting treat, and ‘Farenheit’ for what could easily be a Scissor Sisters offcut. With just ten ‘proper’ tracks on offer, it was a disappointment to find a couple fall below par (‘Until The Stars Run Out’, ‘Feel The Fire’) but for the most part this is a supremely under-rated début; and the good news is that Simon Cowell has pledged to support the guy for at least one more disc.
Read our original review of ‘Wide Awake’

08. Eliza Doolittle – ‘Eliza Doolittle’
July, Peak No3
Eliza Sophie Caird made one heck of a breakthrough in 2010. After the disappointing performance of launch single ‘Skinny Genes’ made her look like a bit of a non-event, follow-up ‘Pack Up’ became one of the year’s biggest singles and this self-titled LP has been lingering on the charts ever since its release in July. The girl can certainly write a charming little pop ditty, with ‘Mr Medicine’ and ‘Rollerblades’ being two particular summery favourites. Our favourite song however is ‘Back To Front’, a touching but restrained mid-album track with an affecting whistle sample and a restrained vocal performance that holds back on the powerhouse ad-libs that her live performances have shown her surprisingly capable of.
Read our original review of ‘Eliza Doolittle’

07. The Script – ‘Science & Faith’
September, Peak No1
We can honestly say we weren’t expecting The Script to be able to replicate the success of their self-titled debut album, but thankfully we were wrong. ‘Science & Faith’ was another emotional rollercoaster of a set, stuffed with pop rock that ranged from uplifting to heartbreaking. Lead single ‘For The First Time’ and follow-up ‘Nothing’ are two particular highlights, but note also ‘Dead Man Walking’ for a quick lesson in how to write a song about being the one left with all the feelings. At just ten tracks long it steers completely clear of filler, and we’re already looking forward to the next instalment in a couple of years’ time.

06. OneRepublic – ‘Waking Up’
January, Peak No29
Album No2 didn’t come anywhere near the sales figures of its predecessor for OneRepublic, whose leading man Ryan Tedder couldn’t quite replicate the success of the global megastars he writes for. Still, that’s not to say the album wasn’t good – in fact, ‘Waking Up’ showed a vast development from 2007′s ‘Dreaming Out Loud’, showing all the signs of an American Coldplay. ‘Secrets’ is a brilliant shout-back to Tedder’s harshest critics, ‘The Good Life’ is a gloriously feel-good anthem, and ‘Marchin On’ is a defiant track that, like their breakthrough hit ‘Apologise’, got given a Timbaland makeover. At once reassuring, relaxing, euphoric and inspiring; ‘Waking Up’ was a superbly crafted LP that deserved to do a lot better than it did.
Read our original review of ‘Waking Up’

05. Katy Perry – ‘Teenage Dream’
August, Peak No1
Mrs Russell Brand proved she’s more than a one-album wonder in 2010 by featuring on five of the year’s 40 best-selling singles and releasing a sophomore album that charted a full 10 places higher than her début. Admittedly it was a bit too front-loaded, with the quality slacking slightly towards the end, but the vast majority of this set showed a budding songwriter who’d been working hard at her craft for years before she made her breakthrough, and is continuing to do so. ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘The One That Got Away’ alone fully justify Katy’s status as a world-class popstar, and tracks like ‘Firework’, ‘California Gurls’ and ‘Last Friday Night’ are amazing also. Closer ‘Not Like The Movies’ is a touching, stripped-back ballad; and check out also the angry and surprisingly gritty ‘Circle The Drain’ if you ever feel like getting on her wrong side.
Read our original review of ‘Teenage Dream’

04. Marina and the Diamonds – ‘The Family Jewels’
March, Peak No5
A hot tip from critics as one to watch in 2011, Marina didn’t disappoint. ‘The Family Jewels’ came packed with brilliantly crafted pop music, including the fantastic singles ‘Hollywood’, ‘I Am Not A Robot’, ‘Oh No!’ and ‘Shampain’. Also well worth a listen are opener ‘Are You Satisfied’, fan favourite ‘Obsessions’ and oddly-titled ‘Hermit The Frog’. Her fashion style on tour may give her the look of Greece’s answer to Lady GaGa, but musically Marina is refreshingly unique – thought-provoking lyrics that steer clear of cliché at all times, quirky little vocal tricks, and irresistible choruses that don’t really sound like anything else out there at the moment.

03. Gabriella Cilmi – ‘Ten’
March, Peak No28
UNDER-RATED ALERT! One of 2008′s breakout stars returned for the sophomore effort in 2010 with very limited commercial success. Lead single ‘On A Mission’ did the business but sadly this fantastic album more or less sank without a trace. Oh, the shame of it. This is a totally different LP to 2008′s ‘Lessons To Be Learned’ – the 80s pop is in, and Cilmi’s distinctive voice sounds surprisingly at home. That gay as a maypole lead single is the definitive guilty pleasure, lone ballad ‘Defender’ is a defiant plea of loyalty, ‘Hearts Don’t Lie’ is producer Xenomania at his best, and ‘Superhot’ – with lyrics like “He’s a superhot guy, it’s a superhot ride” –  is a song that should be utter shite but miraculously is a stroke of genius. If you only Spotify one track though, make it ‘Love Me Cos You Want To’: written by Cilmi and Ellie Goulding, it’s an incredible take on an ailing relationship that has to be heard to be believed.
Read our original review of ‘Ten’

02. Diana Vickers – ‘Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree’
May, Peak No1
OH THE CONTROVERSY. No, we’re not even ashamed. Many critics dismissed Diana Vickers’ long-awaited début as numbingly mediocre, but the wiser among us found it a master-class in contemporary pop music. If you’ve never been a fan of the cat-like yelp with which the ‘X Factor’ alumnus croons then you’re pretty much doomed from the outset, but file it under Good Things and you’re onto a winner. Nerina Pallot ballad ‘Put It Back Together’ is breathtaking, Ellie Goulding co-writes ‘Remake Me + You’ and ‘Notice’ are two totally different but equally amazing tracks, ‘Me and You’ is a folky gem, and closer ‘Chasing You’ is an overlooked triumph as well. Kudos for the songwriting (thematically it’s rather samey without being repetitive), kudos for the A-list army of helpers, and kudos for an amazing début album of which we will probably never tire.
Read our original review of ‘Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree’

01. Ellie Goulding – ‘Lights’
March, Peak No1
We’ll be honest. First time we heard ‘Starry Eyed’ our initial impression was simply ‘meh’. 6/10. OK. Three stars. B-. Not bad. But after a few more listens and the eventual realisation of its amazingness, we gave the album a spin and, as the saying goes, never looked back. With just ten tracks, this isn’t an LP front-loaded with potential hits and padded out with filler, it’s one with ten out of ten songs successfully registering as amazing. Each and every track is special, each and every track is gloriously well-produced by Starsmith, and each and every track is sweet and believable in the hands of our soft-voiced lady in charge. We’ve already named ‘The Writer’ as one of our very favourite songs of the year, but elsewhere ‘This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)’ is pop at its best, ‘Your Biggest Mistake’ has the best middle-8/pre-finale chorus of the lot, and ‘Wish I Stayed’ begins ghost-like before building to another perfect chorus. December re-release ‘Bright Lights’ packs a few more punches too, with the wonderful title track becoming available to the masses for the first time, and acoustic gem ‘The End’ flaunting more of Goulding’s folky roots. An amazing set, and one which’ll make Album #2 a very tricky task indeed.
Read our original review of ‘Lights’

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