CHECK OUT MY NEW FESTIVE BLOG HERE (INCLUDES REVIEW OF THE BOYS SEASONAL DUET WITH SUSAN BOYLE)
I've spent a good portion of the past 3 years following the exploits of The Overtones. They still remain my absolute go-to group for whenever I want a rollicking good time that will lift my senses and help my spirit soar (and, of course, inspire my latest clothes choices). In some magical way, the universe made sure these five fellas came together & crafted something delightfully special - and you get the sense that the guys know this; in as much that everything they do simply sparkles & radiates with passion and love for their work. Each performance is infused with enthusiasm & gusto. Each recording is drenched with their singular ability to pass the smile from their faces to yours. There are no scandalous stories, no on-line spats to distract from the music - and this is because the music is their singular focus. Putting their vocals together to wizard up their own brand of musical alchemy. That's why their army of fans has kept them so firmly in the limelight through sold out tours & top ten albums. Saturday Night At The Movies is their third album (though - because Good Old Fashioned Love was the gift that kept on giving - it feels like their fourth) and it is undeniably further proof that Mark, Mike, Darren, Tim and Lachie are individually & collectively some of Britain's most well rounded, grounded talented entertainers right now. Their collection of movie songs (interspersed with original compositions that already feel like they belong on the silver screen) shines bright like the stars they are. Here is my track by track review...
- Saturday Night At The Movies ~ the opening and titular track of the project is very wisely placed. If you are new to The Overtones, it serves as a template for their musical sound. If you are a long term fan, you get a frisson of excitement that the new music is just as dandy as everything that has come before. Timmy takes lead vocals & the rest of the lads are in fine fettle as this percolating tune (with some lovely horns) bounces brightly through your speakers. You're instantly transported back to simpler times when you'd share a malted milk with the person you are courting before turning in at 9pm. It drips sincere charm from every note sung - particularly that delightful falsetto that Timmy slips so easily into. A sparkling middle 8 will no doubt have 50s boy band dance routine written all over it when they perform it live. Aces.
- Do You Love Me? ~ It's time to get down to some Dirty Dancing with the chaps. Be prepared for an utterly raunchy sounding opening from Lachie as he imbues every single syllable with an animalistic magnetism that will leave you just a little bit flustered every time you hear it. It's nice to see the guys get their rock n roll on as the frolicking piano & handclap beat brings out their wild side. It's a brilliant production of the song that uses every single harmony to maximum effect as the song drives deliriously forward. Timmy has a little growl in his voice & the organic, live feel to the track makes it sound like the boys are right there in your living room causing chaos and carnage that you just don't want to stop. Incredibly clever moment when they harmonise an "aaaaah" just as the instruments get even more frenzied - it's like they're preparing you (&themselves) for that final energetic shakedown. Incredibly vibrant & buoyant performance that shows how much work goes into these songs - and how repeated listens are so darned rewarding.
- The Bare Necessities ~ Lachie's laid back easy going vocals on this song are a key part of it's allure. You can picture him as that well known bear in some big theatrical musical production of The Jungle Book :) Now's a good time to point out how the boys use the harmonies to fill in & enrich the instrumentals that accompany their singing. It's not harmony just for the sake of harmonies - it's intricately linked to the musical score. This is perfectly demonstrated when they sing "give me the power/of man's red flower/so I can be like you". Each note enlivens the power of that sentence & leads into a riotous last minute of the song that would have been slightly less without this attention to detail. It's shoulder shimmying, apeing good fun that Disney should be commissioning a video for whenever they next unleash The Jungle Book on blu-ray :)
- Miss Hollywood~ it's the first original composition on the album! Far be it from me to tell the boys what to do, but boys? You should definitely be releasing this song with an amazing video as the first single from the opus. Right, now that's out the way, let's focus on what the song is about. It sees the boys falling in love with with a famous movie star & what works so well about the song is that you can actually imagine a movie being made about this story (other than, you know, Notting Hill)! The musical style fits in brilliantly with the flow of the album - a big band vibe, rich with orchestral adornment. The chorus is a rousing delight, despite the somewhat downbeat nature of the lyrics being sung & that funky bass that precedes the verses is a spine tingling treat. Clever lyrical couplets that bring to the fore every teenage dream you had about your own chosen dream date (Jason Donovan, circa 1989 after the haircut) make the song beautifully relateable. A hushed harmonised delivery in the middle 8 is stripped of the bigger production values to highlight the wistful nature of the unrequited love they feel, but it's soon back for a sky bound finish that guarantees you'll want to hit repeat straight away. Triumphant!
- Pretty Woman ~ "shoop shoop" indeed as the guys tackle the tale of a prostitute who got lucky in more ways than one ;) Their ingratiating backing vocals weave delicately around tinkling piano and resonate against each other's lead vocals. There is also a growl that is so entirely filthy that it should come with an 18 film rating, or at the very least a parental warning :) Lachie doing the vocal version of that so well known bass riff, rounded off by the lads layered voices, is a giddy morsel of music magnificence that should not be missed by anyone. PS did anyone else really want the song to turn into a medley of The Shoop Shoop song made famous by Cher in Mermaids back in the 90s? No? Just me then...
- Shake A Tail Feather ~ Right, every single Toner out there - all of you, no excuses you there at the back! - I want you to bend over, let me see you shake a tail feather! It's good practice because when you see this invigorating rock n roll classic performed live in February and March, something is going to come over you and you are not going to be able to resist. There is a wicked glint in every single second of this track that is fully designed to conjure up gay abandonment of any inhibitions you thought you could hang onto. The boys certainly know how to party & the invite extends to everyone out there. It's magnanimous music for the masses :)
- All About You ~ Oh. My. This song is an instant classic and utterly, eternally beautiful. It's an elegant, elegiac piano ballad that sees our fave five fellas reminisce about better times with their chosen loved one - truly sad lyrics ("there's no good in goodbye") leave you feeling slightly desolate, but that's not the boys intention. In fact, there's a glimmer of hope and optimism within the song as they accept that they will be better apart despite the hurt it will bring. The musical backdrop gets more textured as the song goes on which serves to underscore their commitment to do what's right within the narrative of the song. Both the harmonies and lead vocals are truly emotive, bringing nuanced examination to the lyrics and making this a timeless tune for the ages. It feels like the type of song contemporary pop acts would be scrambling to get their hands on to sing as this year's Children in Need single - certainly, it's one of the finest songs the boys have EVER recorded. I'm going to be playing this one a lot. And wanting to give them a hug afterwards.
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do ~ after the sob fest that was All About You, it feels right to follow it up with this weepy. It's like a little breather amongst the party atmosphere of the CD, that moment when you sit down with your pals for a rest & some wine - catching up on the realities of life before shaking it off all over again. At least this song is more uptempo & finger clicking groovy, bringing some liveliness to the proceedings once more. It's like the boys have travelled in a time machine to thoroughly research how to bring us 50s boy band realness. There's an acapella moment in the song that is just lovely, reminding us that harmonies this flawless will work in any decade & within any musical genre. And that's part of the cleverness of The Overtones sound - they can interpret and transform any song to make it sound like it was always there own to begin with. Now that's talent...
- Moon River ~ were the X Factor producers browsing this album's tracklisting on Movie Night t'other week?! Regardless, it's a stately take on one of my favourite tracks to play on the piano of all time. The vocal arrangements are absolutely mesmerising - the listener finds themselves getting lost in the nostalgia of the song as everything else fades away from their existence. When the 5 boys all take the lead vocals together, it's enough to bring a tear to your eye. It's more than a real moment of beauty - it's a work of living art that deserves to be appreciated for eons to come. An absolutely reverent reading of the tune that further highlights everything The Overtones are so incredibly wonderful at. Genuinely stunning.
- Hit The Road Jack (ft Beverley Knight) ~ I bloody love Beverley Knight, current star of musical The Bodyguard and behind many amazing hits of her own. And in case you didn't know she's done an amazing amount towards equal rights for the LGBT community. So I'm absolutely over the moon, beyond cloud 9 (cloud 10?!) that she's teamed up with my boys on this sassy, flirtatious number. Her voice feels absolutely at one with the chaps & it brings out the more soulful nature of their tones. The playful, scamp style nature of the instrumental accentuates the mellifluous banter & that key change towards the end is enough to send anyone with a modicum of taste into squeals of delight. There's definitely a theatricality to it all that I would love to see further explored in future collaborations (please. PRETTY PLEASE).
- Runaway ~ talking of theatrical, there's a rather smashing dramatic introduction to this tune, all rolling piano & resonant deep vocals. It sets up the song perfectly (and is a precursor to the continued drama bought by the almost latin-inspired trumpet in the middle 8). Despite the nature of the lyrics, the boys sound like they are having a blistering good time investigating why ey eye eee eye their individual paramours are runaways; indeed having an errant lover never sounded so much fun :) Hurrah!
- Don't Worry Be Happy ~ I always suspected an Overtones version of this would be something rather tremendous. I'm pleased to report that I was right. The boys are the instruments, the vocals and the harmonies for this song, which is exactly as it should be. They perfectly deliver a blissed out, laid back vibe that flows like gentle waves on the sunniest golden beaches. Even the chuckles in the background engender a Caribbean vibe of lazy, laxidaisical attitudes to the woes of the world. And indeed - worrying will just give you lines. Clearly the boys have taken their own advice because they look more handsome than ever (I could not be more jealous of Mike's hair). They even give us gospel choir realness - now that's euphoric currency you can take to the bank. Gleeful.
- Teenager In Love ~ this song can veer into dangerous cheesy territory if not performed with the right amount of angst balanced out with winking knowledge of how EVERYTHING is drama when you're still 13-19. The boys pull this off perfectly - and it's almost like the prequel/inspiration to their own Miss Hollywood (I also quite fancied Jordan Knight from NKOTB back in my day. And 1/3rd of Big Fun. And Steven Carrington in Dynasty. Oh my god, I was a teenage slut!) They bring to life how bloody horrible it is (being in love when you're 8 and a half. Points if you get that reference) fancying the girl/boy at school and not going any recognition for it. The lilting guitar makes it a little lighter, a little frothier as if to remind teenage Timmy that this will pass & he'll soon have his pick of the totty that he wants as a crooning megastar :) Lucky bastard :D
- Superstar ~ As I sat waiting for a cover of The Carpenters/Neil Sedaka (the name of my first dog fact fans) classic, something even better happened - another Overtones original. Let us all rejoice. I'm a sucker for ANY song that has to be counted in and barely had I time to revel in this before a contemporary jam (peppered with 50s influence) launches into life. It's jubilant, uplifting, dreamily romantic corker about celebrating the person for who they are. Applaud that inner beauty regardless of what they do in life because that is what makes the person a superstar in your eyes. It'll sound great next to Loving The Sound and Love Song live, another gorgeous creation to add to the boys own repertoire. Horn blasts that would make Pete Waterman jealous proliferate the song and add to the euphoric nature of the track. But ultimately it's that ridiculously feel good chorus, catchy hook & boys unabashed enthusiasm that make this a winner from start to finish.
- It Had To Be You ~ this cool take on a classic is evocative enough to have you picturing our intrepid heroes in a smoky jazz bar, bow ties loosened as they sing their feelings over heavy glasses of crystal, filled with bourbon (no ice, that's for wusses). There's a moment for all to shine, particularly as they all coalesce in the middle 8 singing the titular line of the song that has rarely sounded better. Their passion grows through the song bringing it to a heavenly, beatific conclusion.
- Who Put The Bomp? ~ just as (hashtag) SNATM was the most correct opening track for this album, this is the absolutely right last song. It's all about the ridiculous lyrics of the doo-wop songs and how they can make someone fall in love with you. As doo-wop influences are all through this album, it's right that the boys sing a song celebrating the genre. It brings the project full circle and there's nothing better than finishing the album by imagining the boys soundtracking the High School Hop (where Cha Cha DeGrigorious is the best dancer at Saint Bernadettes - with the worst reputation). Love the We Go Together blend at the end, leaving the listener on a massive high :)
Top 21 songs of the week:
21 ~ Cher ft Lady Gaga, Greatest Thing
20 ~ The Feeling, Rescue
19 ~ Celine Dion, Loved Me Back To Life
18 ~ Ola, Jackie Kennedy
17 ~ Auryn, Viral (NE)
16 ~ The Feeling, Boy Cried Wolf
15 ~ Eric Saade, Boomerang
14 ~ Sara Bareilles, Brave
13 ~ Robbie Williams, Go Gentle
12 ~ One Direction, Story Of My Life
11 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Beautiful Life
10 ~ The Killers, Shot At The Night
09 ~ Agnetha Faltskog, Back On My Radio
08 ~ The Wanted, Show Me Love (America)
07 ~ McFly, Love Is On The Radio
06 ~ JLS, A Billion Lights
05 ~ Todd Carey, Nintendo
04 ~ Cars & Calories, Runner Up
03 ~ Gary Barlow, Let Me Go
02 ~ Ed Drewett, Blink
01 ~ Satin Circus, If You Love Me (5 weeks)
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