SURVIVALISM

Nine Inch Nails

The first time I heard this, I really wasn't sure about it. I think that's because it's just so different to anything else around right now, but do you know something, every time I hear it I like it more and more. At first, it seems pretty minimal, a few keyboards here and there, very little in the way of percussion, and it only really gets going in the chorus when Trent Reznor starts raising his voice a bit and brings in a few guitars, but if you take the listen to it a few times, you'll find there's more to it than that. For one thing, the lyrics are proper End Of The World fare and the music is angry and downbeat to match. Basically, if you want happy music go and listen to Mika because you're really not going to get a lot out of this one. Now, you remember I said the tune sounded pretty minimal? Well, there's more going on than first appears - things you never noticed before suddenly jump out at you after a few listens. This is absolutely nothing like what I was expecting Nine Inch Nails to come back with and it's fantastic. I can't see it winning the band many new fans, but I'll do my best here by recommending you at least listen to it once - seriously, it's that good.

MIRACLE

Cascada

And for this sad rump of Scooter-level pop, one listen is most definitely more than enough. It couldn't be any more safe and bland even if they'd painted the CD magnolia.

NO EMOTION

Idlewild

Ah, now this is better. This is possibly the danciest single Idlewild have ever released, and the band seem to know it - the word "disco" appears in the video. Mind you, it's dancey in the same way that a Franz Ferdinand single is dancey, ie. it'll never get played in the clubs without the aid of a decent remix because there's too many guitars, but it's got a polished sound to it. I actually can't decide whether this sounds a bit too polished or whether it's a sign of great things from the new album, and there's the thing. If you listen to songs like Little Discourage or A Modern Way Of Letting Go, they sound rough and ready, like the band only had one chance to get it right so they put everything into it. No Emotion, on the other hand, sounds as though they'd been rehearsing it for weeks and were starting to sound a little tired of it when the time came to record it. You might see it differently to me (and so you should, if everyone thought like me the world would be in a pretty sorry state), but there you go. I like it, but I can't help feeling that this could've turned out slightly better than it has.

ALFIE

Lily Allen

Oh, here we go. "Blah blah blah, sounds like Puppet On A String", that's what everyone else has said, isn't it? Well, I'm not joining in, except I just have. Damn. Anyway, this single shows classic symptoms of Jump-By-Madonna Syndrome, in that for some unfathomable reason, they've released the best single off the album way too late. Usually the fourth single off the album is the worst, as the big guns have already been fired and this is just put out to make up the numbers, but that's not the case here. Yes, it does remind me of a certain Sandie Shaw song, but that's it. This is a big sister singing about her little brother, who's smoking things he shouldn't and saying things I'm sure his granny never taught him to say, but it's all done with a big daft smile on its face. What's not to like here? Oh, and the video is staggeringly good too, it must be said, with the titular Alfie depicted as a delinquent puppet. Great stuff.