The sun has finally come out in Britian. And by that I mean it is shining brightly in the sky, not that it has gone "i'm gay. get over it" sort of come out. Though, honestly, anything that sparkles so vivaciously has got to be a little bit man-friendly. Anyway, I digress. The sun is finally warming the shores of Britain and I am focusing on new pop by blokes today. These blokes get to fulfil their creative destinies daily, while I sit in my oven like office, tugging at my tie to loosen it while pushing my sleeves further and further up. I like to think I am sexy dishevelled chic, but I think I'm just a sweaty hot mess :S So it's with some pop-envy, I present the fellas!
Minno ~ Dance With Me:
The TV host formerly known as Jeroen Minnebo knows how to put together a sizzling summer dance track. Dance with Me is the follow up to his effortlessly catchy hit, Dreaming, and just shimmies from start to finish. The song is built around a deliriously consumptive beat, hypnotically pounding behind seductive synths & orchestral like string effects. Lyrically, it's about casting off the weariness of every day life and letting yourself succumb to the giddy pleasures that are just waiting for you. This marries well to the backing track, providing a synchronicity between lyrics and music that creates an explosive pop-dance number. The real draw here is the natural charm of Minno. He has an engaging vocal style and pours his all into the melodic chorus giving the song passion and power. Oh, and that chorus is to die for - a swirling mix of disco, pop and dance that inveigles the senses and refuses to let go. Heaven. Added bonus - Minno is quite the looker and surrounds himself with beautiful people (particularly the dude at 1m57s :D) to give that carefree, convivial summer vibe to the video above. Delight!
Asher Monroe ~ Here With You:
The more I hear of Asher Monroe, the more smitten with his music I become. Having already examined in frightening detail his videos for Hello Baby and Every Night, I was thrilled to discover a brand new Asher song had hit the internet overnight. Entitled Here With You, it sees Asher conjour up an Ibiza-infused dance epic that celebrates summer loving on those balmy summer nights. Superficially, it may appear similar to The Wanted's Glad You Came, but dig a little deeper and the song has a personality & pizzazz all of it's own. The propulsive nature of the backing track crescendos through each verse before exploding like a firework for the chorus. The "oh oh ohs" and percolating drum machine, combined with Asher's charismatic vocal conjoin to inspire a musical endorphin rush that will have you waving your hands in the air like a ninny. The muted middle 8 shows an understanding of how to pare a song back, ensuring the listener is on the edge waiting for one more triumphant chorus before it ends. Compared with the pure pop of Hello Baby & the more aggressive rock inspired Every Night, it's another facet of Asher's musical diversity that is great to hear. Can't wait to see the video! (PS, do check out the welcome to Asher Monroe clip. Great intro to the fella, though I personally liked outfit 5 best :D)...
Chris Salvatore ~ Hurricane:
Is there anything Chris Salvatore can't do? When he's not busy acting in the Eating Out films, he's campaigning for the It Gets Better campaign (and LGBT rights in general). In fact, his message seems to resonate as "always choose kindness" and it's a message I can really get behind. His new single, Hurricane, is a track he previewed online almost six months ago, but it's lost none of it's stark beauty and gorgeous emotional tug in the intervening months. The focus of the song is on that devastating vocal Chris provides - it's sung from the recesses of his soul & every note delivered generates a nuanced insight & complement of the lyrics. When he sings "These old umbrellas are worn, but mine can take a hurricane just hold on tight", it's poetry in motion and the listener believes every word, enveloped in the world the song creates. That's not to say that the piano backing is incidental - it enhances the ethos of the song with it's gentle melody providing the perfect framework for Chris' song. It's soft, tender and honest - indeed, it may be the most affecting ballad since Adele's Someone Like You. A stunning piece of work.
Tommy Fredvang (ft Remus) ~ Come On:
Shame on me for being way behind on the career of Norwegian singer Tommy Fredvang. He came to my attention when he performed the rousing, energetic Make It Better for MGP earlier this year. Turns out that prior to this he had an album out as well as some other music to feast your ears on. Come On was released in late 2011 and is a corker of a tune. What is absolutely brilliant about this song is the way it fuses the current electro-pop trend with a harder edged rock vibe, while never losing sight of the need for a huge melodic chorus. Sharp, crisp guitar riffs are punctuated by fuzzy synths, which gives the song a vibrating effect. This makes it pulsate through your speakers and acts as the perfect canvas for a really assured, confident, driving vocal from Mr Fredvang - indeed, it anchors the huge production of the song with his really resonant tones. All in all, it's a rollicking good time and Suited&Booted Tommy has never looked finer in the accompanying video clip. RAWR.
Maskerade ~ Come To Me:
Oh how completely lovely this song is. I came across it via the writer of the tune, Julien Breathless who tweeted me about it last week. It's an enchanting, romantic, shuffling mid-tempo ballad with a sweetly sung vocal that is entirely captivating. The hand clap rhythmic beat plays perfectly alongside some erudite & magical piano melody, while the chorus manages to be timeless & classic with it's alluring sing a long appeal. What's intriguing about the whole song is that it could be performed in a variety of different ways including a stripped back acoustic version or a more pulsating dance remix - and that's often the mark of a well crafted pop song :)
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