Rox - 'My Baby Left Me'
Ho-hum, another day, another female-fronted pop act straight off the shortlist of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's Sound Of 2010 thing. Another great big heap of expectation piled onto another determined set of shoulders, and another desperate chance to justify the acclaim to every snippy cynic who went through that list with a magnifying glass and some litmus paper to sort out the wheat from the free plastic toy.
Yeah, kinda bleak start there, eh? And, y'know, wholly unfair. I mean it's not Rox's fault there was a stampede of new releases from almost everyone else on the list within the first two months of the year. And in many ways, if you're not gonna be at the front of the race, you might as well saunter along behind. You'll get just as much attention that way, just ask Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards.
Oh wait...I didn't mean Rox is a kind of Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards of music. She's not having a go at this, she's not just here for the experience, it's something she can actually do. Just listen to that pretty voice! Listen to the song!
(. She lives in a bus, a very big bus, in the countreee.)
It's a modern construction built on two sets of foundations. The oldest dates back to the 1970s, and is modelled after the Philadelphia school of soul - the bouyant optimism, sweet strings, and general air of lush, deep-pile quality. Then there's the conversational tone and dry, detailed production. That's a more modern addition - possibly built as an extension to the original structure, and remodelled beautifully here.
Sometimes, dotted around the rubble of these sites you can also find bleakly confessional lyrics or at the very least a blunt honesty, at odds with the palatial glory of the finished construction - I'm thinking here of the fabled Wine House, discovered in 2006, or the landmark American Boy tower, as built by the Estellevians.
I've had a dig about in the grounds, and have had to conclude that such things must have been deliberately left out at the blueprint stage. Mind you, when you consider the ambitious nature of the rising, churning chord changes at the beginning and end of each chorus - on a par with those of Girls Aloud during their 'The Promise' period, to my mind - you can see why the architects went with a smooth finish, rather than leaving any sharp edges or rough surfaces.
Experts may feel that this has been built as a tribute to, rather than a continuation of, a revolutionary time. A lovingly-crafted replica, rather than an innovative new construction, but that's what experts are like. Everyone else will be far too busy enjoying the view to complain.
Download: Out now
CD Released: March 15th
Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 13th Mar 2010, LorBackL2 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 13th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:The real selling point of this song is the hook laden chorus that grabs you on first listen,
Rox's beautiful eyes , and her beautiful velvety , soulful voice really grab the attention too.
I can picture Rox singing this on Jools Holland ,the musical arrangement and autobiographical lyric may sound at home there.
The track sounds a little VV Brown , and it will be interesting to see in terms of commercial success , which one of these girls will claim victory .
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 13th Mar 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:It's better than VV Brown that all I'm going to say. (unless you count my review on the Jedward thread)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)