16 Singles, part 2

As we said, a lot of singles are being released these days, so here we go again.

I Wanna Be A Pop Star. Kid Gulliver
In one of the previous single extravaganzas on WoNoBlog a song by WhistleStop Rock was discussed. The song was co-written by Simone Berk, who reached out and offered a listen to the new single of her own band, Kid Gulliver. I Want To Be A Pop Star is a little more restrained in sound than that delicious outing 'Queen Of The Drive In' presented before, but anyone able to write and play a song like I Wanna Be A Pop Star can stop dreaming, you are one. The song combines the toughness of a rock song with a fine vocal melody, the right mix of expressing boredom and enthusiasm. Not to speak of the total Beatlesque ending. There's only one snag, this music has nothing to do with kids listening to music today. It still amuses me no little, so I'm simply thankful that so many nice songs in this vein are still being made today.

Pink Leather Boots. Karen Jonas
The second single released by Karen Jonas is a totally other affair and showing the wide range she can make her music in. The song has two characteristics. It has a restraint form of playing in which everything, with the exception of the extremely fast played solo notes hurtling out of Tim Brays fingers and snares. Pink Leather Boots also has a toss around quality when the inner tempo of the song is changed by playing more and less restrained. The overall feel is one of joy and party. The influences here go back to 50s rock and roll and sound very authentic. The song simply has a great groove, showing the stuff Karen Jonas and band are made of.

Summer Wine. Alex Kapranos & Clara Luciani
Summer Wine of course is song sung by many, the best known for me by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. So I would not expect myself to write on it, until I read somewhere that Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand fame released it together with Clara Luciani, an unknown French singer, at least to me. The fact that Luciani sings in French makes this version special already. Her soft, pleasant voice, close to a traditional French sigh girl intonation, does the song right. Kapranos is no Hazelwood, no one is, but matches the soft voice of Luciani excellently. Summer Wine remains Summer Wine, that much is clear, but another nice version is added to the fold.

A Steady Hand. I Like Trains
I Like Trains has had a place in the singles representation before with the song 'Dig It'. A Steady Hand is a dark affair. Singer David Martin lowers his voice to evoke scenes of total estrangement. The drums just pound on and on, while dark synths set the mood and guitars sweep over the song like the clouds in a storm, threatening rain and only to pour down eventually anyway. This propels the song forward until an intermezzo provides a point of rest in the eye of the storm that is already building up again. What A Steady Hand is not, is devastating. There remains some control through it all. Although the song is more intriguing than extremely good, there's more than enough to enjoy here. Nearly six minutes of darkness, no hope, just an ending. Not my everyday cup of tea. The contrast in this collection of singles makes it very good to listen to.

Charlie, Keith, And Ringo. The Tearaways
Something isn't adding up here as anyone with even a minor interest in 60s pop music can see (that is, until I laid eyes on the cover of the single after writing the review. Things do add up). What does add up is the pop feel of this song. The Tearaways takes every known trick in the rock pop book and play it like the band invented it all itself. Charlie, Keith, And Ringo is a delightful tune. Nothing more should be read into it. A beat song with a harder beat and a warm organ, both from a later date. Together it all works and gives off a nostalgic warmth that ought to appeal to all middle aged rockers and beyond. To younger ones with a nostalgic taste for a time they weren't in as well.

Cold Hand The Glory Gone. Kloothommel
Belgian band Kloothommel also returns with a single. Guitars are playing off against each other in the intro in a way that only just fits. Kloothommel is not afraid of contrasts. When they fall away another picture is presented. Alternative rock of the ramshackle nature. Softer, with more isolated instruments, an organ, a guitar playing softer notes, a dreamy singer who slowly works himself through the lyrics. The haste I imagined in the intro is let go of totally. The contrast works quite well. Cold Hand The Glory Gone is an intriguing song that explores the possibilities the composition offers. Where many alternative rock bands remain in one format, loud or softer, Kloothommel combines the two without ending in noise but in delicacy while announcing the former. Just well done.

Can't See The Light. Wolfhounds
Formed in 1984 Wolfhounds is around for a while. There's a new  album in 2020, this is the lead single taken from it. It's not hard to peddle back a few decades and a half to hear where Wolfhounds once found its mustard. 'Love Like Blood' is all over the song. Okay, boring, you might say, but wait, this is only the start of the story. It's all about what happens next. Wolfhounds comes up with some delightful harmonies providing the necessary light into the song. Can't See The Light may be the title, this band certainly acknowledges it's no longer the darker days of the Cold War. Can't See The Light celebrates life in all its guises. The song is extremely danceable, headbangeble and allows singing along to. Many of the best things are captured in one song. A great single at that.

For Those About To Pop! The Yum Yums
Isn't Norway the land of experimental progrock, melancholic rock and alternative polka rock (Motorpsycho and Soup, Madrugada and Kaizers Orchestra respectively)? Lou Mansdorf of Rum Bar Records would not be himself had he not found a band called The Yum Yums in the Nordic country fitting his label like a t. For Those About To Pop! is the delightest kind of delightful poprock songs. This song in a certain sense makes the enamel on my teeth go pop causing it to crack, yet does everything so right. A great intro, a great melody and tightly played like they used to in the old days. Like the band sings: "This will never stop ... in this three chord pop song". The slightly whining way of singing underscores the strength because it only furthers the song, where in another context it would be a total turn off. For Those About To Pop! is a great pop record with a whole album on the way.

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g