Lopez Blogs

Now if Martin had released the first three tracks alone as an album I think I still would have been over the moon and spunked my £7.99 download cost on it. The title track and lead single is a funky little number that pays homage to Justin Timberlake's Rock With You paying homage to Michael Jackson. It's peppy, it's fun, it's poppy and it alludes to a bit of tent pole situation in the trouser department, showing that perhaps Martin isn't as cuddly and innocent as he looks. That'll be the "jesus juice" then!! It slides between slick and sensational, and really is a great little pop number. But by track two, Martin moves onto his Stevie Wonder influenced track and quite lovely it is too. When I Am With You spits out stevie song titles amidst a barrage of synthy beats and is so wrapped up in disco that you want to be careful the glitterball doesn't give you seizures as it spins round the chorus. And then there is the greatest dancefloor song since either of Sophie Ellis Bextor Jones' Murder/Heartbreak numbers - Report To The Dancefloor is a bit of a bossy title, but a groovy ace melody. This pattern of 70s soul/funk inspired numbers are repeated throughout the album in tracks like Magic Lover, Rock The Party and Music Under My Skin. In all tracks there are elements of brilliance, but that nagging feeling comes back and I can't help but think is this an outright tribute album or just writers finding their niche and not really expanding? Ultimately it doesn't matter because it is delivered with such gusto and energy that one can't help but get carried away. The ballads are equally delightful. Part Westlife, part earnest solo ex-boybander, they are the type of songs that record companies love to foist upon the public at Christmas with a snow filled video, and the type that I adore at that time of you - particularly standing out are Never The Same (which is a lot Careless Whisper then a lot Bananarama cover version of Careless Whisper) and Frozen (though bobbypops, I can't imagine Jesse McCartney is losing too much sleep over the latter. it's aces definitely, but he is too busy counting his Bleeding Love millions to care :P ). So all in all, a rather fantastic, if somewhat generic album that is bursting with energy and enthusiasm that helps you look past the ever so minor complaints :)

If Martin is part Stevie Wonder, part Michael Jackson, part Shayne Ward, and all & none of those people, then Rongedal are part Scissters, part Mika, part Bros, part London Boys and again, all & none of those counterparts. It's true that their melodifestivalen single practically pantsed the scissters and mika in the school changing rooms and ran off with their undies, but Just A Minute was still a rather intoxicating and addictive shot of pop that went straight to the ice cream headache spot of your brain, so gooey sweet and ace it was! Next up was the similar Who Do You Think You're Fooling Now which takes a time machine, goes back and nicks all Stock Aitken and Waterman's ideas and transports them into this ridiculous but fun tune. Don't think the whole album shamelessly steals the Sciss-ika sound because, like Martin, there are plenty of other acts to crib from (but again in a fun so forgiveable way. No one's claiming this is great art, but it's a fucking hoot!) - Hello Europhia is more glam rock than glam pop and should definitely be the third single. It also has the most boyband chorus of the entire album and is full of handclapping goodness. Knock Me Over I was convinced was a McFly song misfiled on my computer the first time I heard it. It's all pop rock a la Transylvania until the chorus where Rongedal just can't help themselves and launch back into poppy refrains (not that McFly aren't pop, but this is dancier to McFly's anthemic rock-lite quality).

So two shamelessly derivative albums, but so effortlessly fun that ultimately it doesn't really matter (well just enough for me to point out obv. :P) Back tomorrow with a blog catch up and charts before an Abba weekend!