Miles Kane – ‘Give Up’
Label: Sony Music
8/10
Miles’ first offering from his forthcoming album sees the Modfather’s successor release his most raucous and ballsy anthem yet. “Come on and give up control” commands Miles over fistfuls of guitar so powerful that you can only pathetically cower in the corner sobbing and do exactly as he tells. Kane’s formula is worn yet timeless; unsurprisingly another belter that has festival fist-pumper scrawled all over it from England’s finest Scott Walker impersonator.
Laura Mvula – ‘Green Garden’
Label: RCA
6/10
For an artist with a degree in composition, the layered tracks of hand-claps and twinkling xylophones are too predictable and soon become nauseating and cloying. It’s a bizarre mixture of twee pop and soul which doesn’t consistently sit well throughout its duration. The hype surrounding Laura Mvula might be deserved and could be justifiable, but unfortunately ‘Green Garden’ isn’t testament to it.
Words: Dom Edge
Wiley – ‘Reload’
5/10
With his latest track ‘Reload’ Wiley finally wrings the neck of his long-suffering grime career in favour of the moniker of pop-star. This is an infectiously upbeat track with pumping monotonous backing and a melodic, if unimaginative, chorus. The lyrics sound like a montage of inoffensive, top-twenty singles from the past eight years, possibly having taken inspiration from Rihanna’s 2005 track ‘Pon de Replay’. Listen to it at the gym, but be embarrassed to get caught with it on your ipod.
Example – ‘Perfect Replacement’
Ministry of Sound
5/10
Generic indie-pop riff? Check. Massive ‘’avin it” dubstep-trance chorus? Check. Rather silly video? Definite check. To my complete surprise, Example’s new single is almost exactly the same as all the other ones; everything’s where it’s supposed to go, it’s impeccably produced and designed for mass consumption. If this is your sort of thing, you’ll love it. But it’s impossible to hate.
Words: Ed Biggs