In this week's review column we have the latest offerings from The Charlatans, Bryan Adams, The Temptations and .... (deep breath) Katie Melua...
The Charlatans - Oh! Vanity
Consistently excellent, The Charlatans do it again. A cracking good track that fairly rattles along with their distinctive vocals, keyboards ablaze and tight drums keeping everything crisp and honest. Anthemic without being maudlin, this song effortlessly uplifts and entertains.
Surprising news then, that the entire album – You Cross My Path, will be available as a free download from 3rd March on www.xfm.co.uk, and from 17th March on www.thecharlatans.net as well as being released on CD and vinyl on May 19th. And with music this good, you just cannot say fairer than that. 5/5
Rikki Wright
Bryan Adams – I thought I’d seen everything
Sandpaper voiced Canadian rocker Bryan Adams hits the spot again with this sweet song about the unexpected finding of love against all expectation. Simple, tuneful, heartfelt fare from the master of his artform, this will gently please his many fans, and win him a few new ones along the way. 3/5
Grace Tiede
The Temptations – Classic Soul Hits
From the first note of the first track to the last not of the last, this classic collection from soul sensations, The Temptations just oozes class and charisma. You may well know many of these songs – they get covered by a huge range of artists – but hearing them done by the masters is something else again. Like a box of your favourite chocolates, you just don’t know which one to dive into first. Funky, melodious and soulful – you’ve just got to give in to The Tempations, the only thing you can’t resist… 4/5
Josh Green
Katie Melua – If The Lights Go Out
The genuine music lovers of this world would be more than happy to see the spotlights shining on Melua’s talent-free-zone go out. This song begins with the words ‘They say the world must end somehow, they say the end’s not far from now’ and goes on to reduce environmental disaster to some sort of sentimental backdrop to a dreary, self centred little love song, featuring some of the lamest lyrics in recorded history, with a musical accompaniment that sounds like it came free as a demo tune for an electronic keyboard. Corny old claptrap from a girl who thinks that the closest thing to crazy is feeling a different age to what she is, and spends time making wild guesses at how many bicycles there are in China. How she gets away with churning out this piffle, time after time, is a mystery of modern times. Proper music lovers just don’t seem to have a good word to say about her, but I do…though sadly it would never get into print. 1/5
Rikki Wright