Singles of the week - Tiscali Music News

2003-04-21

For this week's singles, read on, but for this week's albums, please click here

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The Delays - Nearer Than Heaven

Led by brothers Greg & Aaron Gilbert, this Southampton four-piece deliver classic pieces of guitar pop, and this single is no exception to the rule.

It's an exceptionally summery tune, full of gusto and verve, reminiscient of early Las and late Fleetwood Mac (in a good way).

No stranger to the live scene (having already supported The Coral, Mull Historical Society and McAlmont & Butler), this offering will do much to swell affection from the fans and newcomers alike.

Officially gets our thumbs-up.

Buy this single here

David Sneddon - Don't Let Go

The second single from David Sneddon's long-awaited debut album, 'Seven Years, Ten Weeks', 'Don't Let Go' proves that the Fame Academy winner isn't gonna be just a flash in the pan, over the night pop sensation.

Featuring an incredibly infectious piano line around a soaring chorus and some beautifully penned lyrics, it's a superb follow-up to 'Stop Living The Lie', and shows that Sneddon is indeed here for the long haul.

Both formats also include some exclusive bonustracks and video footage.

Buy this single here

Triple 8 - Knock Out

David, Justin, Josh, Sparx and Jamie; remember the names, because they're Triple 8, and this five-piece are already looking like worthy successors to 5ive's vacant bad boys of pop position. So forget slushy ballads and sugary pop covers, Triple 8 are all set to break the mould with their raw, edgy, energised, tough, punchy new single, the brilliant 'Knockout'.

And, as if that weren't enough, both formats of this release also come packed with some brilliant remixes and exclusive bonus tracks, with CD one adding the super slick new vid.

Buy this single here

White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

The first single from the White Stripes' latest album, 'Seven Nation Army' is a quick lesson in why this Detroit blues-rock duo remain completely untouchable at the moment.

Riding a treated (no bass) guitar groove and a typically fiery Jack White vocal, it also comes with two, count 'em TWO, completely exclusive White Stripes B-sides.

First up is a superb cover of the Brendan Benson penned 'Good To Me', whilst the CD adds a Jack White arrangement of traditional song 'Black Jack Davey'.

Buy this single here

Busted - You Said No

This pop-rocking three-piece seems to be riding the crest of a wave at the moment; and, off the back of hit singles 'What I Go To School For' and 'Year 3000', they keep the momentum rolling along with their latest, 'You Said No'.

Another effortlessly bouncy, impossibly catchy rock-tinted pop gem, it also comes with some brilliant remixes/bonus tracks alongside exclusive video footage.

Buy this single here

Lisa Maffia - All Over

An integral player in the sprawling So Solid collective, Lisa Maffia takes centre stage on this, her long-awaited solo debut single.

Produced by So Solid's studio squad of JD, AC Burrell, Swiss and Dan Da Man, 'All Over' combines Lisa's distinctive vocal style with punchy pop, r'n'b and hip-hop to create an exciting and wildly individual track that hails the arrival of a brilliant UK talent.

Not immediate, and sure to split opinion, this is however one of those rare singles that justgets better with each listen. All formats add remixes/bonus tracks.

Buy this single here

Badly Drawn Boy - All Possibilities

Lifted from the Top 10 album 'Have You Fed The Fish?' (the follow-up to 2000's Mercury Music Prize winning 'Hour Of Bewilderbeast'), 'All Possibilities' finds BDB in, yet again, very fine form indeed.

From an album chock full of great songs 'All Possibilities' was always a highlight, but on this release it's aided and abetted by some superb bonus tracks.

'Where Were You' and 'Let The Sunshine' were recorded live for Radio 1's Lamacq Live, live favourite 'Walk Away Renee' (on the 7") is a rough and ready audience bootleg from his US tour in 2000 and the DVD CD rounds it all off with the brilliant video.

Buy this single here

Bluetones - Fastboy

With a fifty date tour taking The Bluetones back to the kind of venues fans won't have seen them play since the early days, it's kind of fitting that the indie-rockers should return with a 'slightly' new musical direction. From their forthcoming album, this double A-side displays the stripped down, more back-to-basics approach the band have taken.

Still retaining their canny knack of spinning a tune, 'Fastboy' (and its bonus tracks) shall easily please the fans, whilst at the same time converting plenty more to The Bluetones' cause.

Welcome back!

Billy Crawford - You Didn't Expect That

A successful child actor and teenage pop star, 20-year-old Billy Crawford returns this week with his latest infectious pop nugget, the brilliantly catchy 'You Didn't Expect That'.

A tantalising taster for the forthcoming album, this is wonderfully infectious cocktail of pop and r'n'b, that's easy going and catchy but still manages to retain a tougher urban edge. Whilst Jamieson, Almighty and Double R get on board with the remixes and the DVD CD adds the vid and 'Making Of...' video.

Buy this single here

V Birds - Virtuality

A revised version of the theme from the popular Cartoon Network series featuring four virtual girls (Bling, D:Lin, Wow and Boom), 'Virtuality' finds the VBirds getting down and sassy with this fine, if slightly tongue-in-cheek, pop debut.

Certainly not rocket science, but great fun none-the-less (not-to-mention a must if you're a fan of the show), the impossibly infectious original also comes with a wealth of contrasting remixes.

Buy this single here

Macy Gray - When I See You

She's been away from the limelight for a while, but this week hails the long-awaited return of soul diva Macy Gray.

A bright soulful ray of sunshine, 'When I See You' sees Macy opening her heart on wax.

The good-natured, fun-loving lyrics are layered around a light piano accompaniment that harks back to the good work on her first album ('On How Life Is'), but at the same time still manages to sound utterley contemporary.

All formats add bonus tracks/remixes.

Buy this single here

DMX - X Gon Give It To Ya

DMX returns to the hip-hop fray in all-conquering form! The title track from the new 'Cradle 2 The Grave' movie (in which X also stars alongside Jet Li), it also serves as a brilliant taster for the man's forthcoming long-player. Tough, raw and very rough around the edges, with DMX's vocal aerobics all over it, 'X Gon Give It To Ya' shows that the man can still cut it and is gonna take no prisoners. All formats add mixes alongside an instrumental with the DVD adding the brilliant video.

Buy this single here

Asain Dub Foundation - 1000 Mirrors

New from politically charged collective Asian Dub Foundation, '1000 Mirrors' also stands up as one of the highlights from the UK outfits recent album. A dub-drenched beauty (produced by Adrian Sherwood), with a superb guest vocal from Sinead O'Connor, it also stands out due to two brilliant remixes. The 'Visionary Underground Mix' mines deeper territory whilst break don Ils takes things out on the dancefloor with a kicking breakbeat version.

Buy this single here

Also out this week:

Pippa - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

Buy this single here