Today we've got the lowdown on the new releases from The Bees, Green Day, Levellers, Digitalism and Avril Lavigne. Click below and tell us what you think. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Make your views known!
SPIN IT
The Bees – Listening Man Virgin Records 3/5
Reviewed by Grace Tiede
‘Listening Man’ has a mellow soul/reggae vibe, as it grooves along in the sunshine. Warm and gentle nostalgic sound that takes you to a place to melt away your worries.
The horns are particularly evocative, and the vocals are quite dreamy.
Levellers ‘What a Beautiful Day’ Rhino 4/5
Reviewed by Rick Underwood
What a beautiful song! Levellers have produced some fantastic songs over the years, and this is one of the best… It’s just a great song, and you cannot stop yourself from singing along to it - and you find yourself still singing it, hours later.
It’s a reissue, but it’s a welcome one. Will it be a hit all over again? Nothing is impossible, as the song goes….
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Digitalism – ‘Idealism’ Virgin Records 3/5
Reviewed by Mouse
With its scratchy dirty relentless German technovibe, this experimental keyboardrich music stutters, clangs, and slithers along, seductive, mesmerising, diabolical tuneless non music to some, the very soul of delicious art noise to others. Even if you hate this sort of stuff, you’d be hard pressed not to start nodding your head to its insistent rhythms, once you let it onto your player. If this is your groovethang, you will already be quite quite hooked, and this album does not disappoint.
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Green Day – Working Class Hero 4/5
Reviewed by Rikki Wright
Green Day are one of the very few bands who could get away with covering this John Lennon classic. This track is for Amnesty International, and deserves support for that alone, but this reworking is actually very good on the ear, and brings something new to a wonderful old song. Lovely vocals, crystal clear acoustic guitar and crisp drumming, enhance the trademark electric Green Day sound, creating an atmosphere that pack quite an emotional punch. This is surprisingly powerful stuff. Buy it.
BIN IT
Avril Lavigne – ‘When You’re Gone’ Columbia 2/5
Reviewed by Josh Green
Wow, whatever’s happened to the skaters’ favorite strumpet?
This is shameful soft rock, middle of the road sentimental pap.
Nice enough song and voice, but that’s the problem, it’s nice enough, but she’s lost her edge, and her street cool credibility, if she ever had them, which is definitely open to debate after this bland offering…