Lopez Blogs

Kimberley Locke, in a nutshell, is very brilliant indeed. She was my standout contestant from the last proper American Idol season I watched (year 2) and hasn't disappointed me since. So I was delighted to learn that she would be putting some feisty new music out preceeding a no doubt magnificent album from her. Strobelight is a glittering, thrilling disco extravaganza drenched in retro rhythms, a percolating beat and a super chorus that dances like the sunlight on a rippling river. It takes you back to a time when satin shorts and roller skates were the norm at the disco rink - in fact it may be the most 70s infused track since the glorious Step Back In Time by Kylie of Minogue. While to me it sounds completely heavenly in it's original radio mix, you may like something a bit more up to date, and for those people there are a whole plethora of rocking remixes available on iTunes. Kimberley's done well in the past with dance remixes of her songs, so concentrating on the uptempo is no doubt a wise career move - yet when done in such an engaging manner, it doesn't feel like a career move at all. Just lovely aural popcorn...

Best of the past:

• 8th World Wonder (from One Love) ~ one of the most uplifting pop songs ever to come from an idol alumni. Totally sterling from start to finish, it set out Kimberley's stall as an artist who wanted classic pop tunes rather than bowing to current trends or fads...
• Fall (from Based On A True Story) ~ not only a stirring, emotive, deliciously heartbreakingly delivered ballad, but in it's rather good Bimbo Jones mix, a thumping dance anthem as well! Peter Cox of Go West fame has just recorded this for his latest solo album, fact fans...
• We Need A Little Christmas (from Christmas) ~ Everything about Kimberley's Christmas project was so timeless and classic that it was perfect listening for just about every holiday season since it's release. This track from Mame was the icing on the christmas cake, the angel on the top of the tree :)

Back at the weekend with a mammoth wrap up!