Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

A red hot stylized Beyonce video is normally a cover for a bad single or a retro-pop pastiche but pleasingly "Why Don't You Love Me?" proves to be nothing of the sort; as it captures Beyonce at true apex of her game. She's strong, sassy, dominating but also desperate and emotionally fragile. Quite simply "Why Don't You Love Me?" is the best non-ballad Beyonce has released in what seems like an eternity. The beat is propulsive, it grinds and grooves in compelling fashion. This fast, layered, groove seems almost at odds with Beyonce's vocal performance at first before the two eventually elide to complement one another in thrilling fashion. Vocally Beyonce is at her best; she's domineering, and her sweet but powerful coos at 4:12 and especially at 2:52 are a sheer joy to experience. Her raspy rangy assaults is irresistible, as she stampedes tumultuously over the beat. Her final shrieks of "There Is Nothing Not To Love About Me" are so direct and powerful you'll almost feel as if she's grabbing by your lapels and screaming down your throat. Truly terrifying, but utterly tremendous. A creative, forward thinking track that scrambles up pop's past placing new textures and new sounds, alongside raw blood curdling emotion.

Dansette Junior are setting their sights high with "Paranoid"; a track that is broad in scope with huge anthemic sweeps and crushing synths. Unfortunately while most of the major hallmarks are in place for a chilled dance anthem, the track simple fails to kick on into a higher gear. The pre-chorus is a huge unifying moment of reverberating synth noise but the chorus falls flat. You want that one thumping hook to come in, that hands to the sky and bounce moment to arrive but it never quite does. Certainly a worthy effort, but in an overcrowded marketplace "Paranoid" does little to truly distinguish itself.

Gold Hawks' "Keept The Fire" features one of the most annoyingly whiny vocal hooks I've ever heard. Honestly Brian Molko would shudder. This track is just bending over backwards in an attempt to feel momentous but instead it leaves you miserable. At its worst "Keep The Fire" feels confused. It undoubtedly has it moments, and I imagine an instrumental mix would be highly enjoyable, but as is, it simply tries far too hard. Less exciting than the premier 8-bit noise nicks, and much less inventive than art-house electronica's heavyweights; "Keep The Fire" is ultimately forgettable and scene. A case of trying far too hard. Stripping back the sound, and a move towards subtle minimalism could well salvage this track. I wouldn't be surprised to find a better, more sparse, mix lurking out there, somewhere.

Have groove Armada been listening to Crystal Castle's, Lindstrom and The Knife? It sure sounds like it. "History" feels like a natural blend of Groove Armada's renounced laid back approach with subtle blips of electro-noise and imposing quasi-industrial atmospherics. It's great to hear a Groove Armada single push closer to the avante guard while still retaining it's core pop accessibility. Will Young's vocal addition is a good one, especially when he cuts loose before fading into the mix in haunting fashion. This isn't A grade cutting edge material but it's certainly an intriguing listen, and a tell tale sign that Groove Armada are not content to rest on their laurels and their name value.

Who other than Kanye West would sample King Crimson? Who other than Kanye could actually make it work? No one I suspect. Kanye's flow isn't his tightest on "Power" but the beat pounds, smashes, and convulses it's listener into submission. This is the sound of brutal grinding rap mosh pits, the beat just won't quit, the groove is just so thick and so relentless. Everything about "Power" is overblown, it's huge, it's mammoth; giant walls of noise, hide layers and layers of hidden depth. Hear that subtle key line underneaththe percussion and garish choir? Not to mention the subtly guitar work, and the trippy emotive finale. "I Know Damn Well I'm Killing This Shit", damn right Kanye is killing it; if this is a sign of things to come, Kanye will have regained his art house credibility quicker than you can say "best video of all time!". An essential purchase.

The title track from Katy Perry's sophomore LP is suitably obnoxious. It appears she's on a mission to release all of Teenage Dreams least interesting works before she actually gets round to showing off the creativity that deep down we know she possesses. "Teenage Dream" is of absolutely no artist merit, it's positively grating (even more so than "California Gurls") and it can't match up to her first album's singles. Yet, I'd be surprised if this track does anything other than shoot straight to number one. Perry can do much better, she has already penned superior tracks, I'm just wondering if she'll ever actually get round to releasing any of them.

While there's no denying that "Hot-n-Fun" is the kind of track Pharrell and co. could write in their sleep, you can't help but fall for the tracks insanely sexy beat (as Pharrell is more than happy to point out). There is not much else to say, honestly; "Hot-n-Fun" puts a premium on brain dead sexy thrills, and that's exactly what it delivers with the typical N*E*R*D knowing swagger we've come to love.

The recipient of over a million YouTube views, I suspect "Please Don't Let Me Go" won't struggle to shift units. Musically it's neither here nor there; it's pleasant enough, but almost instantly forgettable. The cooling summer vibes, while bland, will be fun while they last, but I suspect the sun won't shine on Olly Murs for particularly long, if at all.

The X-Factor's mission to return pop to the sorry state of affairs that existed before the mid 2000s pop revolution continues to be reprehensible. For a while with Girls Aloud, and to a lesser extent Leona Lewis, it appeared they'd got the idea and had embraced creative experimentation, but alas sadly, with each passing year the more they revert to type. Thankfully La Roux, Annie, Robyn & Florence Welch continue to keep the good ship pop pointing in the right direction, while the X-Factor continues to offer up drivel like "Shine On Forever". Despite Same Difference's best efforts (and I sincerely hope this is not their best effort) they are swimming against the tide; pop has changed for the better in the country, and it appears there may be no going back now. Awful.

Despite the occasional surprisingly brilliant release it appears that Usher has set about reverting to type with another appallingly over produced, convoluted jam. "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again" is so artistically, and emotionally vacant that I find myself being overwhelmed with apathy. Must try harder Mr. Usher, we know you can do better than this.