Sunday Single Selection: Quality Boy Pop from ace new acts...

Nothing wrong with celebrating how ace boy pop can be. I've updated you recently on some ace boy bands who seem to be coming back into vogue at an alarming speed (see Auryn, GMD3, Loveable Rogues alongside One Direction, JLS, The Wanted et al) but this time around it's all about focusing on those fellas who choose to go it alone. And frankly, a fine job they've all made of it in their own separate ways. So enough waffle from me, tarry no more my fine people and read on for four individuals and their own brand of quite excellent bloke-pop...

Aiden Grimshaw ~ Is This Love?

Oh Aiden, if you are asking about your first single and your rather amazing new "don't care but do really" popstar haircut then yes, this is love :) After being the "oh no the public did not just put him in the bottom two" contestant of 2010's X Factor, Aiden has wisely taken his sweet time coming up with the musical sound he wishes to present to the public and the results are totally worth the wait. Is This Love is a genuinely breathtaking pop anthem that is dramatic, theatrical and memorable all in one. It starts off as this appropriately moody, atmospheric song before an urgent drum beat comes in balancing against a mesmerising piano melody. It creates this intense, propulsive track that mirrors the yearning, pleading nature of the lyrics that tap into that universal theme of the insanity, passion and craziness of discovering what love is. Taking full command of the track however is an impressive vocal from Aiden, fuelled with emotive nuance that breathes life into the song. It's an absolutely stunning debut single and one that sets the bar high for his first album, Misty Eye (out on 13th August)...

BAKER ~ Convince Me:

I first wrote about young Mr BAKER (all caps!) late last year when I found myself shimmying away to his rather brilliant single Echo (see here). Since that time the photogenic fella has been busy getting himself photographed by Essential Style For Men and building himself an online following that worships (quite rightly) his growing portfolio of Quality Pop Music. Take (for example) his effortlessly brilliant tune, Convince Me. It's a glorious dance number that grows into this explosive synth/beat driven extravaganza with some well considered touches (such as the layered vocals, the crescendo into the chorus, the almost duelling vocal style of the middle 8) that show how accomplished Baker is both as a musician and a producer. It's definitely a wave your hands in the air like a ninny type dance groove that's popular in the clubs just gone 1am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning - and it's all the better for BAKER's crystal clear vocal that isn't reliant on vocoder or autotune. Definitely one to watch because I'm giddy for more...

John Rowley ~ Stones From Glass Houses:

Let me tell you why I like John Rowley. It helps that his music is actually quite intriguing and that he has this really resonant vocal delivery style that is quite rare in pop these days. But (never start a sentence with but...) he sent round this email promoting his video (above) that had this quirky, off kilter stream of consciousness in it that totally reminded me of the intros I put to most of my blogs (which end up being a casserole of pop rather than focusing on one particular person anyway). So I thought, yay! Kindred spirit! Anyway, set over this lush, percussive backing track (laden with some sumptuous piano riffs and a shimmering 80s-esque vibe to it) is John giving this quite mature, considered take on relationship woes that even seasoned popstars have difficulty conveying. His lower register voice is a real treat and one that I could never tire of listening to. In addition to this, he's also knocked together a cover of one of the best boyband songs of recent years (WWhat Makes You Beautiful) sort of medley-mashed together with The Saturdays (meh) and Mini Viva (YAY). Click here to view the video which has some quite amusing asides from John. Ignore his note that it takes 30s to get going because I quite like the intro and the whole thing demonstrates his love of pop, something I always look for in an upcoming pop star...

Daniel Robinson ~ North:

Oh it's going to be oh so easy for me to fall in love with Daniel Robinson. For starters, he currently works for my beloved Starbucks (mine's a white chocolate mocha, no whip, 2 shots please Daniel) and spends his spare time working for charities that promote equality among all. Bravo. On top of this, his song North is a corking introduction to his sound - he fuses together elements of different genres of pop including electro-synth, an almost industrial Depeche Mode-esque quality and the fascinating lyrical quality of Bodies Without Organs. His voice is confident and assured & there's a rawness and honesty within the song that is both refreshing and encompassing. The chorus soars and despite the different influences & genres, it always feels totally cohesive and well thought out. It's also incredibly inventive and you can't help but feel you're just scratching the surface with young Daniel. I'm eager to discover more...