On the record - Sparks fly on the Battlefield of Pop

Jul 20 2009 By Polly Weeks

What's hot and what's not in this week's new releases.

Jordin Sparks - Battlefield

Hopes are high for the 2007 American Idol's follow-up to her self-titled debut, and she doesn't disappoint with Battlefield. As well as sticking to radio-friendly songs such as the title track (produced and co-written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder), Don't Let It Go To Your Head and Let It Rain, the 19-year-old also tries to break away from the conventional pop fare with Emergency (911) and SOS (Let The Music Play), which are more Rihanna-esque or Kylie-influenced. Jordin's strong voice carries the tracks well, especially on ballads like the Leona Lewis-esque Walking On Snow and Faith.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Shereen Low)

The Marvelettes - Forever: The Complete Motown Albums Volume 1

For a bunch of high-school girls, The Marvelettes achieved a great deal. They scored Motown Records' first No 1 hit with Please Mr Postman and followed it up with a string of finger-clicking, hip-slapping party tunes. Sadly they became overshadowed by the label's other great girl-band, The Supremes. This collection puts them rightly back into the spotlight by bringing together their earliest eight albums, which cover hits such as Don't Mess With Bill and Too Many Fish In The Sea as well as several live versions and rarities. An uplifting and comprehensive collection.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Lisa Williams)

Paul Steel - Moon Rock

Brighton boy Paul Steel's new album is a bright collection of sugary sweet power-pop. But the lyrics lend it a more interesting dimension, with the opening track In A Coma about being trapped in your own body while Moon Rock describes travelling to the moon. Steel's falsetto voice adds to the squeaky clean images that his cheeky pop melodies invoke. Sometimes his tunes do start veering into teen musical territory - particularly the cheesy Oh No! Oh Yeah! - and at worse conjure visions of an adolescent singing in his bedroom. It is however an inventive catchy debut with a happy Sixties California vibe reminiscent of the Beach Boys, an album for the summer.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Miranda Prynne)

Working Man's Soul 2 - Various Artists

On paper this seems like a great concept - forgotten cabaret artists performing the songs that made them popular in the 1960s and '70s. Unfortunately this album falls short at the first hurdle. What do the cabaret artists' versions offer that the originals don't? Unfortunately not a lot. The originals are all better. It's strange to have an album where Vince Earl Attraction covers Barry White's Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, especially when you actually hear it. So many of the tracks are like karaoke covers, and no-one wants to listen to that - not even when you're at the pub and waiting for your turn to get onstage.

Rating: 3/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Bill Frisell - Disfarmer

Veteran avant-jazz guitarist Bill Frisell prepared this set as a celebration of the work of Depression-era Arkansas portrait photographer Mike Disfarmer. With a band consisting of stand-up bass, steel guitar and fiddle, for the most part Frisell plays it pretty straight. The best tracks, such as Little Girl, have a ragged, haunting edge to them, coming over like a genteel, dinner party-friendly version of The Dirty Three. He also throws in covers of Hank Williams's Lovesick Blues and Elvis's That's All Right Mama. In some ways these old country blues tunes are the musical equivalent of Disfarmer's portraits: works which began life as poor vernacular that over time have been elevated to classic, near mystical levels.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Steve Kerr)

Coulter - Sent To Coventry

Morrissey's influence shows no signs of abating, as artists such as Coulter are still coming out of the woodwork with their own take on the great man's once characteristic delivery. This Seattle songwriter even persuaded long-time Morrissey bass player Gary Day to help him out on The More I See. Sent To Coventry is 'dad pop' in the extreme, with thoughtful musings layered over jangly, inoffensive guitars throughout. Give It A Chance is about as raucous and as catchy as it gets, and the lyric "It seems I'm unable, to impress the record label" could well be the most apt line of the year so far, as this seems destined for the bargain bin.

Rating: 5/10

(Review by Nick Howes)

The Twang - Jewellery Quarter

When The Twang burst onto the scene in 2007 with their heart-tugging smash Either Way, it looked as though the Birmingham five-piece were destined for big things. It never quite happened though, and this album could see them slide even further back down the slippery slope to obscurity. While none of the songs on Jewellery Quarter are necessarily that bad, they are not that great either. Lead single Barney Rubble lacks the catchiness of old, while Put It On The Dancefloor sounds like a poor man's Kasabian. Encouraging Sign, with its gently winding and infectious chorus, is undoubtedly the best of the bunch and provides a rare moment of brilliance in an otherwise mediocre collection of tunes. One for the die-hards only.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Nick Howes)

Riceboy Sleeps - Riceboy Sleeps

A Sigur Ros side-project of sorts, Riceboy Sleeps sees Jon Thor Birgisson team up with his partner Alex Somers. The two have worked together previously on visual art projects, but this is their debut album. Hypnotic, melancholic opener Happiness (included on the recent Dark Was The Night compilation) sets the tone: a few minutes of celestial, rising synth chords which morph into a gentle, rustic main section sounding something like a Philip Glass string quartet. Rarely raising its voice beyond a whisper, Riceboy Sleeps is all about mood and delicately-crafted, slowly-shifting textures. Very soundtrack, very Eno.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Steve Kerr)

The Duke and the King - Nothing Gold Can Stay

In alt-country circles, being a founding member of The Felice Brothers carries about as much sway as being an early supporter of Barack Obama does in Capitol Hill. As such, Simon Felice's new side-project, a two-hander featuring one-time George Clinton collaborator Robin Burke, arrives with a readymade audience and plenty of expectation. The sonic palette is familiar enough, with a loose-limbed rhythm section and Harvest-era Neil Young smattering the arrangements, but the offbeat charm present in Felice's day job is missing. Lyrically, tracks like If You Ever Get Famous lack punch and a good old-fashioned tear-up would help alleviate a slightly one-paced feeling.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Rory Dollard)

Now 73! - Various Artists

The Now That's What I Call Music compilations, now in their 25th year, have a tried and trusted formula of combining the well-known chart hits with the more obscure tunes from the past three or four months. At this time of year it seems bands are busy doing the festival circuit and the potential holiday hits are filling the charts instead. This compilation certainly reflects this. There's the occasional indie gem like Kasabian's Fire and Rabbit Heart by Florence And The Machine, but it's the dance and hip-hop tunes that dominate this collection with such dancefloor fillers like The Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow and Lady Gaga's Poker Face. Whether you're heading for the beach or hoping for a sunny 'staycation', this will be a perfect soundtrack to your summer.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Laura Wurzal)

Singles by Polly Weeks

Mpho - Box N Locks

The name may be impossible to pronounce, but this slice of uptempo pop from the South Africa-born, Brixton-raised singer - which samples the guitar hook from the Martha and the Muffins hit Echo Beach - should have people dancing.

Mr Hudson - Supernova (featuring Kanye West)

He's being hyped up by none other than Mr Kanye West, and the hip-hop artist even features on this electro-pop tune. If it's any indication of what to expect on the album, it'll be very Kanye heavy.

Metro Station - Seventeen Forever

Electro-indie pop at its most Hollywood from an LA band featuring the older brothers of Hannah Montana stars Miley Cyrus and Mitchel Musso. It's OK but probably won't set the charts alight.

On the road

Live reviews

Motorhead - GuilFest, Stoke Park, July 10.

Taking to the stage to a full crowd, lead singer Lemmy opens the set with the simple words, "We are Motorhead and we rock". Straight into their set they go, and the crowd are instantly impressed - his vocals are just as strong as they were 30 years ago. The band whiz through their songs with the verve of people half their age, only stopping once to inform the crowd that they will walk off the stage if bottles are thrown on it. Lemmy is certainly an enigmatic character, with short bouts of information given before each song, such as In the Name of Tragedy which he dedicates to William Shakespeare, and Just Coz You Got The Power "which is about politicians". The band come back for a two-song encore, singing Overkill and, of course, Ace Of Spades. A great set from what is clearly a well-run and enjoyable festival.

Upcoming tours

Part one of Pink's Funhouse tour may be over, but she's returning for the second instalment in October. Starting at the Belfast Odyssey Arena on the October 14, her final date is on December 10 at London's O2 arena. For more information visit www.pinkspage.com.

Fresh from their festival appearances, American rockers The Used hit the UK for a headline tour. Beginning September 15, they'll be taking in shows in Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London. Visit www.gigsandtours.com for more information.