There seems to be a distinct lack of interest in blogland (well the blogs I like anyway) about the return of one of my fave new popstars of the past few years, Mika. No one really paid any attention to his low-key EP release back in May, and I sense an air of distaste surrounding his boombastic (say me fantastic touch me in the back she say I'm Mr Ro-ro-ro-mantic, etc) and wonderful single We Are Golden. Frankly for someone whose debut album was as gigantic as it was, the buzz should be, well, a lot buzzier. Regardless of all this, I loved the EP and We Are Golden gets me smiling and happy everytime I hear it - so it's probably no surprise that I have thrown myself into listening to his new album with enthusiasm and excitement. And phew, it's not half bad - jolly entertaining in fact...
The Boy Who Knew Too Much is a throwback to the latter years of Mika's teens - a time when he reports he wasn't as able to express himself in the ways he does now. Luckily this is manifest in a collection of songs that range from downright exuberant (We Are Golden) to introspective (Touches You) and somewhat disturbing (Toy Boy). It's not a million miles away from his brillo debut album so while he's likely to retain his sizeable fanbase, if you didn't like him before this probably ain't going to change your mind. But if you are at all curious, there are some lovely pop treasures to be had, whether you like Mika or not...
I'm not going to dwell too much on We Are Golden because you've heard it all before. Regardless, it's possibly the most in-your-face/annoying song that Mika could have chosen to lead off the album with (depending on your point of view). For me, it's still a marvelous updating of Heaven Is A Place on Earth and just the start of Mika's musical appreciation of the genre of pop (Queen, McFly, Fine Young Cannibals, Emelia and some Caribbean sounds all manage to make an appearance). Blame It On The Girls is an instant barrage of enticing sounds, including a typically massive chorus, some stomping piano chords crashing around and some off kilter percussion (mirrored with some ace hand clapping, which as everyone and his mom knows makes a good pop song great). This could (and should) easily be a single and paired with We Are Golden starts the album off to an enjoyable and high standard. This continues with the Stuart Price produced Rain. Part Mika, part Madonna and part Pet Shop Boys, it's a song that was performed just with a piano on Mika's recent tour but benefits from the additions of synths and violins to make it a seductive little dance number not a million miles away from the vibe Take It Easy gave off on album number one. Again, easily a contender for a future single.
Single number four should probably showcase Mika's more sensitive side and while there are a clutch of decent ballads on the album (The lovely I See You is quite charming, full of elegant piano, a sorrowful minor key choice and quite sad lyrics; quite nice By The Time which Westlife would probably kill to have on their comeback album - both songs showing Mika's canny understanding of how to craft decent pop tunes) I've decided to stay upbeat and I'm going with the pulsating Touches You. Not only does it bring to mind George Michael's Father Figure (both melodically and in vocal delivery), it does that introspective thing that Happy Endings did so well and binds it all together in a gloriously anthemic chorus that will stick to your brain like pigeon poo on a car bonnett. Yes it's that good. Other future singles manifest themselves in the form of Good Gone Girl - it's as upbeat, showy and theatrical as anything Mika has done in the past and utterly deserving of a shot at singles chart success. The rest of the songs from the album are all in the pretty decent category, and pad out with style an already impressive collection of songs. Of particular note is the Imogen Heap collaboration, By The Time and the deliciously dark (and not particularly revealing) Toy Boy, which is like a more melodically downbeat Alfie (Lily Allen).
Overall still totally Mika, and still totally enjoyable as an ambassador of ridiculously ott pop tunes. Me likey.
Potential singles: We Are Golden, Blame It On The Girls, Rain, Touches You, Gone Gone Girl
