Rose Elinor Dougall - Another Version Of Pop Song
(Scarlett)
Rose Elinor Dougall is a solo singing confection whose name will be bound to the fateful prefix "former Pipette" for possibly the rest of her music-making days. Rose may well have jumped overboard from the good ship polka dot, but she hasn't drowned her perfect twee-pop heart nor left those classic handclap sounds behind. Another Version Of Pop Song is a wave more mature than her previous girl group efforts, and mixes squiddly keys, Belle And Sebastian eyebrow raising and folksy 1970s vocals to create a sound you don't have to be a teenage girl or a suspicious brand of middle-aged man to enjoy. Just lovely.
The Dandy Warhols - Mis Amigos
(Beat The World)
Wahey! We're the wacky Dandy Warhols! We take off our clothes, smear each other with quinoa and Jack Daniel's and have a ruddy groovy time! Jealous? Um, not for the past decade, chaps. Mis Amigos is supposed to sound like a bangin' Latino block party after a surprise gatecrashing from Mick Jagger, but seems more akin to a lonesome mariachi dude tumbling down some front porch steps before accidently - or not - kneeing the Dandys' Courtney Taylor-Taylor in the groin.
Ladyhawke - My Delirium
(Universal/Island)
Proof of Ladyhawke's talent lies not in her canny way with a synth-beholden breakdown and rousing chorus of the type only played in discos with the word "guilty" in the title, but in the fact that she can create mind-blowing pop nuggets undistracted by having a mullet-esque haircut. Understandably, 'Hawke's music is deeply indebted to the 1980s: My Delirium is almost enough to make you want to grab a brick-like mobile phone and nip to Annabel's for a night shimmying to Bryan Ferry: The Sleazeball Years with stockbrokers in red braces. Almost.
Boyzone - Better
(Polydor)
Better than what, Ronan? Being trapped in a lift with microphone-wielding X Factor finalists? A mug of scalding mulled wine being chucked down your pants by carol singers? Maybe. But better than the Take That comeback? Not quite. Obviously we're into the fact that Stephen Gately gets to frolic with a bloke in the video instead of an inappropriate rent-a-beard, but even that kind of inspiring piece of progress doesn't make up for this drizzly ballad being as weak as a festive argument about who keeps the mini-screwdriver set from the luxury Lidl crackers. Gary Barlow needn't worry yet.
Dead Kids - Into The Fire
(Sparrow's Tear)
Dead Kids like coarse shouting, incessant bleeping and guitars that sound as if they're being played by Edward Scissorhands holding a six-pack of razorblades. Yet, in the face of such hardships, they've managed to make a rather charming wee rock'n'roll song. You could either pleasantly tap your polished toes to it while chewing pink gum and making eyes at the captain of the baseball team or don a Tippex-tattooed leather jacket and toss yourself around in a phlegm and snot-ridden moshpit for two minutes until said track burns out as quickly as it started. The choice is yours.
