10 ~ Mohair: Small Talk
I really had huge huge hopes for Mohair and actually perhaps 2007 will be their year. Indeed if I had done a 6 in 2006 feature, they certainly would have been part of it. Revitalising the generic rock industry by producing songs that were filled with cabaret and organs and killer choruses and enough pomp and ceremony to fill the Royal Variety Performance. End of The Line and Keep It Together were doused in innovation, while Life and Stranded were clearly written with stadiums in mind. These songs are too huge to go unnoticed for much longer…
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09 ~ William Young: Keep On
Kicking off his third album with Switch It On was a ballsy move. Ok it wasn't that courageous but we just wanted to write something about William and say ballsy so we could titter like a schoolgirl. But in all seriousness, Keep On was an accomplished set of tunes ranging from dance (Switch It On) to timeless balladry (All Time Love) to outright funk (the aces Ain't Such A Bad Place To Be). Stand out track Who Am I was one of his most beautiful creations yet and his live shows evolved into slick, professional theatrical productions. Can't wait for more.
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08 ~ The Killers: Sam's Town
I've written about what a grower this album is quite recently, so I probably don't have that much more to add here. Lead off single When You Were Young was a tune so huge, it could barely be contained on radio and some nifty Stuart Price remixes meant it spilled over to the dancefloor. The lack of success for Bones bamboozles me as it's an anthemic little number that will blow people away at the festivals next year. And although not on the album Great Big Sled is destined to become a Christmas classic. Whaddya know? I did have quite a lot to say after all!
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07 ~ Lily Allen: Alright, Still
Don't hate, D'luv! This is one of the freshest breakouts of the year, and while her gobby mouth seemed to ultimately attract more attention than her songs, you can't deny that this debut bought something different to the world of pop. LDN and Smile were perfect summer hits, while Alfie makes faux-bossonova cool all over again. Knock Em Out soundtracked some classic moments on Entourage and Littlest Things proved that ol' gobshite had a heart after all. And it's compact length and numerous unreleased recordings surfacing meant this zippy project remained vital long past it's supposed sell by date.
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06 ~ McFly: Motion In The Ocean
We are at the part of the list now where we are getting to acts that I have written multiple posts about already and so it is hard to find something new to say about them. However, McFly produced one of the most varied and musically accomplished album of the year, making their niche success and inability to break out of it even more mystifying. The first two singles from the album perhaps don't show it's stronger side, but the cavenous Sorry's Not Good Enough is a mini masterpiece in waiting, and their young age belies such mature and astounding songwriting. Bubblewrap, Translyvania and Friday Night all stand out on an album with no dud tracks. And their cover of Don't Stop Me Now provided an energetic reading of one of my favourite Queen songs. So leave your prejudices at the door and dive into the ocean :)
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05 ~ Take That: Beautiful World
Who would have thought that after 10 years of nothing, Take That – my favourite boyband of all time – would be back with such a vengeance. And is it telling that they do so in a year when Robbie's Rudebox fails to make my top twenty? (his first album to do so!) The reformed foursome surprised everyone by not only being hugely in demand, but crafting an eclectic and mature album of very accessible and memorable tunes ranging from the elegance of Patience through to the jaunty Shine and folksy Wooden Boat. Everyone wanted them, and as much as I love my little Robbie, they handled surpassing his star with much more tact than he ever afforded them. A class act in more ways than one…(PS - is it me or does it look like they left a space for Robbie on the cover??!)
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04 ~ Scissor Sisters: Ta-Dah
Much as with the Killers, there was much rumblings that the Scissters sophomore set didn't match the ingenuity and sass of their much loved debut album. It's certainly been a difficult year for sophomore albums, but I embraced this one whole heartedly. From the first few chords that lead into I Don't Feel Like Dancing to the honkytonk piano of I Can't Decide through to the dancefever of Kiss You Off and Lights, there certainly was a jaded bounce in the Scissters step. However, whereas on the first album I wasn't blown away by their balladry, here they stepped up to the mark and produced the beautiful Land Of A Thousand Words and swoony romantic I Just Might Tell You Tonight. What's not to love? Even a song called Intermission is groovy fabosity.
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03 ~ BWO: Halcyon Days
It wasn't hard for me to put this (way) ahead of Pet Shop Boys Fundamental, an album I just found it incredibly hard to access. Halcyon Days however, proved that dance pop with an edge wasn't just confined to girl group mania and really this is what Steps should sound like if they were back together. A triumph of catchy tunes and ballads, not only did the singles glitter like a disco ball on acid, but album tracks such as Marrakech, Obsession and even faux reggae of Hanging On The Phone made this one non guilty pleasure from start to finish. And early next year we will have some Halcyon Night remixes to tide us over for a while…
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02 ~ Simon Curtis: Alter Boy
OK, this album wasn't officially released in 2006, but it certainly was my one bright hope for pop in 2007 and bought back to mind a time when pop could be dark and insightful and gleefully malevolent as well as catchy and bright and danceable. Simon's Alter Boy features an array of strong tracks (with more coming as final listing has not been decided yet) with songs of betrayal, religion, discrimination, sex and love. His producer Jadion should be credited for assisting in producing a sound that is a fresh as anything coming out of Sweden, but with an edge that makes it relevant for a world market. Simon knows pop and I'll eat my hat if he isn't big in 2007.
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01 ~ The Feeling: 12 Stops and Home
Sigh. And so a debut album tops my list. With eight freshman albums in my final list, it certainly was a good year for new music and entering the blogging world is partly responsible for some more diverse tastes. No one produced more life affirming, radio friendly, video worthy, live stage excellency, cheek bone splendour than The Feeling did this year. So much more than a guilty pleasure, they embraced all the elements of feel good pop and made it their own with gorgeous layered harmonies and choruses so utterly moreish, you got calories added on just from singing them. Fill My Little World is by far my favourite track, but Never Be Lonely and Love It When You Call showed a firm grasp of what makes a good pop song great. I Want You Now is ripe to be covered by Wilson Phillips and slower songs like Rose and the "we're all freaks so embrace it" philosophy of Strange were powerful and rewarding numbers. Plus any act that features Mr Ellis Bextor and Dan Gillespie (Sex) Sells (RAR, etc)deserves to be high on any year end list. An auspicious debut from a promising act.
SINGLES:
10 ~ Mohair, End Of The Line
While everyone is excited (rightly) about Mika being the new Freddie Mercury, most people missed this years Freddie when Mohair put out the most theatrical, cabaret inspired slice of rock for years. A gleeful musical eff you was swathed in horns, synths, guitars and (queen) killer chorus.
09 ~ Justin Timberlake, Sexy/Back
One of the years most polarising songs – you either loved it or hated it. I loved it. I thought it was one of the most innovative slices of r'n'b infused dance-pop I had heard in the longest time. Plus Justin looked RAR! Video was all over the place though. Still, funk was back and soon everyone and his mom was covering it!
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08 ~ The Feeling, Never Be Lonely
As beautiful as The Feeling sound on their slower songs, it's the jaunty uptempo numbers dripping in cock-rock influences that they shine. This was this summer's most marvelous squint eyed look at the glories of love. It sounded just incredible live and Dan looked just darling and dapper in the video.
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07 ~ Paolo Nutini, Last Request
A bittersweet ode to breaking up introduced the sometimes sensitive Mr Nutini into my world, and never has the break up of young love sounded so desperate and pleading, yet so beautiful and melodic. A great heist video with twist ending accompanied the track.
06 ~ The Killers, When You Were Young
And so B-Flo and his boys returned cowboy style as they were done with England and now loved America again. I needn't have been worried – the tune was built for stadiums, the chorus soaring, the video beautiful and the whole package a breathtaking wonder from start to finish.
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05 ~ BWO, Temple Of Love
Third and final entry on this list for the best pop group around. Their comeback single (though was anyone really finished with the first album?) was't their best or particularly groundbreaking, but it was pure pop and all encompassing and wrapped its arms around you as spring leapt into action. Bracing and brilliant!
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04 ~ Take That, Patience
A title that described a relationship, but was also a wink to the fans who had waited ten years for this moment. Take That were back with an elegant song that saw their matured sound take their sophisti-pop to the next level. Strings, harmonies, class and sheer nostalgia made this comeback one for the books. Quite simply, lovely.
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03 ~ Simon Curtis, Broken
For someone who has had no official releases in 2006, this boy has done well. Broken remains one of the most exciting pop tracks I've heard in a long time. Gloriously gleeful in it's distaste for the errant partner, it's a song that has exquisite production, an amazing vocal and terrific lyrics. I want more, and have a sneaky suspicion 2007 will bring it…
02 ~ Scissor Sisters, I Don't Feel Like Dancing
A song about staying in proved to be a staple for people going out as Elton's piano, some honky tonk, a sublime falsetto and typically catchy chorus gave us the comeback single for the Scissters and a dance classic to boot. It's not their edgiest single but it certainly is the one that embraces all the elements of pop, and that makes it a winner from start to end :)
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01 ~ The Feeling, Fill My Little World
Oh. My. Gosh. Unrequited love is heartbreaking, soul destroying and awful. Which is why it's even more impressive that such subject matter could spawn one of the years most exuberant and addictive songs. Stunning harmonies, beautifully crafted chorus, an amazing lead vocal from Dan and the sound of a band who know how to bring the best out in each other. It's utterly deserving of it's top place ranking in my favourite songs of the year.
