LOW

Flo Rida

I'm almost positive I reviewed this song four years ago. Of course, it had a slightly different tune and different lyrics, it was performed by Usher and it was called Yeah and not Low, but that's what it reminds me of. I actually liked Yeah when it came out, but this one has the sound of someone travelling over familiar ground. It's fairer to describe it as a cross between Yeah and Planet Rock, but it's not as good as either song, to be honest. Never mind, there's always something else to listen to. I should damn well hope so, else this week's column's going to end a bit early.

CAN'T SPEAK FRENCH

Girls Aloud

Oh look, something else. Do you know what, I can't be bothered with this one. It's repetitive, mid-paced and predictable. Nope, I've got far better things to review than this.

HOXTON HEROES

Girls Aloud

Like the B-side, for example. It's almost certainly the greatest thing Girls Aloud have ever done, and here it is hidden away on the flip side of a complete non-event of a single. Sometimes life isn't fair and I should know because I'm a Luton supporter. However, that thankfully has nothing at all to do with this song, which is the sort of thing you wouldn't normally expect a band (of any kind) to have the bottle to do, least of all a manufactured girl band. For four glorious minutes, they royally slaughter indie bands that behave as though they're far more successful than they actually are. Now, I'm not quite as inside the music industry as I once was (even calling working in a record shop "inside the music industry" is probably pushing things just a tad), but whoever wrote the lyrics certainly gives the impression that they've seen a lot of this behaviour. More to the point, the words are sung with utter conviction - this isn't a colour-by-numbers job like See The Day was, the group sound like they're singing it because they believe it and want to let off steam, not because it's a chance to be controversial. However, the tune isn't having a go at random bands as an excuse for Girls Aloud to say how good they are. In fact, at no point do the band use it as a chance to brag, instead they're telling samey-sounding indie bands to get their own sound and stop copying other people. Personally, I'm all for that, but I'd extend that to pop bands, metal bands, solo singers, the whole works. It'd be a very long number indeed mind you, so probably best to stick to one target for now and move onto others later. As for the tune, it's thrashed to within an inch of its life - it's still a pop song, but it's a pop song that's been taken outside and given a damn good kicking, which is precisely what was needed to accompany the lyrics. What makes this all the better is that it's Girls Aloud at the very top of their game. Their faster stuff tends to far exceed the quality of the slower tunes, and the tune doesn't have any random changes in direction like some of their more recent singles. This is thoroughly brilliant and just like with the La's single last week, I'm going to recommend a single purely on the strength of its B-side because I can do that, see.

NUDE

Radiohead

Let there be no doubt, Radiohead are not one of the bands that Girls Aloud are singing about. They have their own sound, in fact they've got hundreds of sounds. This is one of their slower and more thoughtful sounds as it happens, and it's lovely. Even the line "So don't get any big ideas, they're never going to happen" can't spoil the mood, which is no mean feat when you think about it. The law of averages says that Radiohead must release something rubbish eventually, but until that day finally comes to pass I'll quite happily settle for songs like this.