The return of Mika (We Are Golden) and Blake Lewis (Sad Song)

New songs from your favourite artists appearing on the internet nowadays are a lot like the whole process of giving birth. First of all, you get to hear the song title from somewhere or the other (this is obviously the equivalent to the pink line on that stick thing that ladies piddle on). People always try to be first with this news (they are the secretary at the office who spoils it for everyone) but ultimately the artist named the song so no one can ever top that (though apparently popjustice were bribed for a song of the day in exchange for naming a PR person's cat. Astonishing, no?) Then inevitably a clip of the song appears online (the ultrasound). This can be anything from 18 seconds (Madonna - the blurry peanut like ultrasound) or a whole minute 'and a bit' (Elouise - fully formed, can at least see an arm). Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for - you get to hear the whole single (If you have not cottoned on that this is the birth, then you are a bit slow to be honest)! This could be on the radio (frankly so common now that it is the equivalent of the NHS birth) or if you are lucky, Peter Robinson could be your midwife (a popjustice debut is nice, just ask the Benny Andersson band)... And then, hurrah it's either mazel tov and joy all around (sometimes with helium balloons) or everyone "rags" on it (I'm not entirely sure what this means, but I'm not gossip girl enough to say trash talk or diss :/) which if you think about it, is the same as calling someone's baby ugly. Which isn't very nice but is the world we live in. This is a very long winded way of saying that the Mika and Blake Lewis songs are online for all to enjoy.

I'm already very fond of the Mika - We Are Golden song. The beginning bit sounds a bit like Britannia High mixed with Kid British for a b(r)it of street "cred" (another one I can't really get away with saying). Then it's a hi nrg mixture of tenor vocal mixed with ball crunching soprano (note to self: ask Simon Curtis what the official term for that is) as Mika sings along over an all over the place piano-drum combo (I mean that in a good way). Then there is that refrain "we are goooal-den" with shouty bits a la Chumbawamba meets Pet Shop Boys' Love Etc. Then in the middle eight it all goes a bit Belinda Carlisle (a mixture of the single remix of We Want The Same Thing and Heaven Is A Place On Earth). Add that all together and it's typically over the top, rather joyous and thoroughly entertaining Mika. I am kind of very smitten with it already. Someone get this man to write a musical, stat.

I have to confess I was ever so slightly perturbed when I heard Blake Lewis (sign up to listen to this single) was going dance. I adored his debut album, mourned the fact that he chose not to release Gots To Get Her to launch his career in England and thought End Of The World was one of the loveliest ballads in a long time. Sad Song has put any fears I had to rest. The song is an (almost) instantly catchy, electro disco number that while distinct from the work on ADD, is still recognisably Blake. It seems to take the drum beat of some of the 80s power pop, mix in the synthy influences from that decade and come up with something quite enticing. I have to confess it took me a few listens to get into, but the lyrics sink in and it's almost like a great diva anthem. Only sung by a guy. Who makes it work. The instrumentation is great, the chorus catchy and there is a nice ending where Blake asks "will you march with me?" Based on this I most definitely will...

Links:
My review of ADD here...
More Blake here...
My first Mika mention...
More Mika here...
Free legal remix mp3s available at Arjanwrites...