Going Steady: New Singles 1-20-23 – 1-26-23 Reviewed
Everything You Are (From “Skilled”) – April Rose Gabrielli, Kulick – will April remain a cult star? Last year’s brilliant debut album is now followed by a song from Sundance screening documentary “Skilled”, the song she has made with her partner Kulick, is a first rate anthem to positivism – B+
Weightless – Arlo Parks – a take on black, female pop singer songwriter, with an assist from DJ Paul Epworth composing, which makes Arlo in the business of making the songs bigger than they are – C+
Same Problems? – A$AP Rocky – what is it with hip hop, half the artists releases a new album every other month, and the other finds A$AP taking half a decade between albums and something missing the mojo from the man who who gave us “1 Train” on this dreary snooze of would be soul balladeering – C-
Welcome To My Island – George Daniel & Charli XCX Remix – Caroline Polachek – the Chairlift girl goes all in on a yuper pop remix – B+
Mississippi – Version 2 – Bob Dylan – this is an inverted “The Stars Come Falling From The Sky”, “Stars” was lousy on Empire Burlesque but the alternate version on the original “Bootleg” release was a masterpiece, for “Mississippi” it stood out on the standout Love And Theft, but this take is too fast and too, well relatively speaking, too cheerful – C+
Gonna Be You – Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Gloria Estefan – Dolly’s pleasantly indifferent Diane Warren song isn’t helped by a cast begging an answer to the musical question, where was Miley? – B-
Step By Step – Eddie Chacon – the 90s soul guy with a catchy piece of synth orchestrated r&b 1995 style, the horn is great – B-
F64- Ed Sheeran – a tribute to his pal DJ Jamal Edwards nearly a year after his death at 31 years of age, Ed is freestyling and it is better than anything on his last album – B+
King Blixa – Emma Tricca – it starts as typical singer songwriter folk-pop and blows up two ways through – B-
Love From The Other Side – Fall Out Boy – starts off like classical orchestration and then explodes with a winning return – B
I Play My Bass Loud – Gina Birch – the great Raincoat finds the hook in her bassline – B+
Just In Time – John Pizzarelli – of course we miss Bucky, but John is excellent on this (overly) piano based version of the Great American Songbook classic – B+
red (feat. Morgan Wallen) – Written with the help of a terrific songwriter, Ben Hayslip, and sungalongaMorgan on a straight up duet, it is well observed and yet also exclusive, according to the lyric it probably would make zero sense if you’re not from a small town and instead of invited friends and blue staters it closes them off but it is so good it wins you over anyway, give it a chance and you might decide to jump on your tractor and drive into the summer – B+
Martin’s Sofa – Headie One – the grime classicist has been listening to drill – B
Bed Of Roses – Ian Hunter, Mike Campbell, Ringo Starr – the ubiquitous Mike Campbell plus Ringo himself add their instruments and it works better than it had any right, a classic rock sound by a classic dude seemingly in complete control on what heralds a maybe very major late career return album – SINGLE OF THE WEEK – A-
I Wish you Roses – Kali Uchis – sounds like Madonna meets Babyface and has some of the gorgeous mood sound of a “Take A Bow” – B
Last Words – Kenny Beats – exceptional lead off track from the DJ with a wonderful hyperpoppy vocal and a Vince Staples verse – B+
brrr – Kim Petras – Kim is having a moment thanks to Sam Smith but this won’t add to it – C
Miles Chases New Voodoo In The Church – London Brew, Benji B, Dan See, Dave Okumu,Martin Terefe, Nick Ramm, Nikolaj Torp ,Larsen, Nubya Garcia, Raven Bush, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross,Tom Herbert,Tom Skinner – a who’s who of UK jazz 2023 channelling Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew – B+
Screaming Suicide – Metallica – terrific lick to open but the riff is recycled Metallica – B
Easy Now – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – nothing much from a master so far past his prime he was begging his brother to reunite Oasis… he must be completely broke as this very Oasis-y track testifies, Milly Alcock of “House Of Of The Dragon (I posted it underneath) as Noel continues his search into the past and nostalgia. A really ace track, I’m shocked – A-
Leave Me Like This – Skrillex, Bobby Raps – the third single and the third goodie off his upcoming album, it is the return of world beating EDM – B+
UK GRIM – Sleaford Mods- great drumming holds it tight asf – B+
I Can’t Go Back To The Way It Was (Intro) – The Kid LAROI – he may never get back to a song as great as “Stay” but this is a peep almost voyeuristic on the cost of fame – B
Tropic Morning News – The National – apparently Taylor Swift gave em the day off and the National welcome us back with a surprisingly catchy though a little the same ol same ol – B)
Busted – Willie Nelson – the great country songwriter Harlan Howard (he composed Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces” classic )and this one, a song Roger Miller could have written – B+
Pollen in the Air – Worriers – the impeccable Lauren Denitzio is better when she is punkier – B
