MUSIC IS MY RADAR

Blur

Hands up those of you who, like muggins here, shelled out for the 22 single box set only to find out they're bringing out a Best Of in a few weeks! Oh, how I laughed when I found out. Nearly fell off my chair, I did. Still, it's no use complaining now and, luckily for Blur, this is another one of those "What the hell was that?" singles. You know the sort, you have the band or singer pigeonholed as only being capable of one type of music and they go and stun the world by changing tack completely, so the first time you hear their new stuff, the first reaction is to say "What the hell was that?". Radiohead's new album also goes along these lines, but that's for another time. The thing is, Blur have changed direction so many times their heads should be spinning. The fact that this is nothing like anything on 13 isn't a surprise. The fact that this is nothing like you think it's going to be is. For starters, Damon Albarn sounds like he's smashed out of his skull on something very interesting indeed and is singing apparently random words (not having the lyrics to hand I can't verify this). The drummer's obviously being paid overtime as he's constantly bashing something and as for the others, well, they're just doing whatever they want to really. Madder than a bunch of nutters locked in a room filled with squeaky toys, that's what this is and it's top stuff because of it. The only thing it sounds even remotely similar to by my reckoning is an ancient New Order B-side called Hurt and that sounds sensible in comparison (and we all know what a wacky group of jokers New Order are). Blur are back and the world is a happier place again.

COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER

Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias

I thought last year's Latino craze was dead, but after hearing this I'm absolutely convinced. It's another of those surely-Whitney-can't-carry-a-tune-on-her-own-let's-get-someone-in-to-help-her-out songs that was dumped on her Greatest Hits and it's too professionally done, sanitised, scrubbed clean of any emotion or feeling whatsoever and not a lot of fun to listen to as a result. A singing voice like hers deserves better than this, but life has a habit of being very cruel.