Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Well I reviewed this single when it leaked a month or so ago, so as usual I'll keep this brief. Get Sexy sees the Sugababes regain their X factor. They seriously misfired with their previous album becoming the ultimate is supermarket mum pop, but the girls have refound their vigour, their sas, and best of all their sexiness. The Sugababes will always be a little rough around the edges, but that's why we like them, they need to match girl next door charm with slaggy edge. Get Sexy is a track that grabs you by the balls and demands that you dance. Pop music with attitude and swagger, a welcome return to form.

Ah Friendly Fires they're alot of fun aren't they. They produce those moderate sized, slightly sweet, occasionally soulful indie disco bangers that we all love so much. The album was solid and dependable, but it's time to see whether they can evolve or whether they'll just be another brief footnote in the 21st Century indie revival. Well Kiss Of Life with it's pulsating drums and irresistably charming hook, certainly shows the hits won't be drying up for these lads anytime soon. The beats are slick, and Kiss Of Life has an uplifting buzz to it, you'd have to go someway to hate this track, but it rarely thrills. So it appears we getting more of the same, it's no bad thing, a second album of danceable indie disco will be palatable but sooner or later these boys are going to have to show that they have a little something extra left in reserve.

Again another track I previewed a while ago, so has it grown on me? Not really, the guitars are still suitably huge, and I'm loving the Rush style bombastics, Billy Talent certainly needed more musical punch to match their slick hooks and by gosh they've got it now. However, vocal it's still the same whiny, simplistic, repetitive stuff. So Billy Talent have improved but they are still a love them or hate them act, this will do little to convert the non believers. A fine addition to their back catalogue but hardly a ground breaking or perception altering smash.

I Dread The Night sees the Gallows doing what they do best, ranting and raving with all the vigour and hardcore bluster we've become acustom to over the last few year. Yet the spark is missing, it doesn't match up to the excellence of Orchestra Of Wolves and it feels like the holding pattern. Fear not, Gallows don't make bad records, and this is a pretty could slab of hardcore crunch, but this is a band who need to take a break, recharge and come back with a new magnus opus. For the time being I Dread The Night with it's jaunty guitar line will keep you bouncing off the wall and screaming you lungs out, until they come up with some new ideas.

I have to say I've never really counted myself as a fan of the Gossip. For every record that thrilled I always found their music to be hollow and a lacking a key ingrediant to raise it above average. Love Long Distance has Beth is full disco diva mode, and this is where we love her best, this track is as danceable as they come, and has just enough soul to give it some artistic merit. It feels sharper and sleeker than anything on their debut record. Love Long Distance all in all, is a damn fine pop single, keep 'em coming Ditto.

I have to say that Take Me To The Hospital is a bizarre choice for a single. Don't get me wrong it's got a pretty solid hook, but its so retrospective, it feels like the love child of Experience and Baby's Got A Temper. Very old school, too old school, Thunder would have been a much better choice for a single. Not bad, but rather baffling.

Wow speaking of dated here comes Pixie Lott. Boys And Girls has some cute samples, and has some slick production, but the problem with this track is that it's overly produced. It's too smooth, too silk, it feels like a throw back to 90s pop. Much like the way Pixie herself has been photoshopped beyond recognition this track has been stripped of any honest or earthiness. It's a shallow facade. Pixie should enjoy her fun while it lasts.