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koganbotBruno and Katy keep playing footsie with the top spot, and there's not much more movement underneath.
Taio Cruz ft. Travie McCoy "Higher": "Dynamite" threw several kitchen sinks at us while never - to my ears - finding its groove; I felt affection for its ambition and confusion, even if I never got comfortable. "Higher," in contrast, is all smoothness and comfort, shapely fishnet synths, steady four-four beat, the word "higher" sung on all the high notes, tasty, tasteful, affable. Don't know if it'll stick, but that's not its assignment anyway. TICK.
Flo Rida ft. Akon "Who Dat Girl": Max 'n' Luke 'n' Benny rejigger the California Gurl synths for another coast. Akon crushes Flo Rida, which says more about Flo Rida than about him; but with the sound-filter effectively thinning out his voice, he actually skips along nicely rather than weighing us down with his usual gloop. He's the song more than Flo Rida is, so the latter's tired rhythm is survivable. Not that I'd want to hear this every day on the radio or anything. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Meanwhile in the U.K., the guitar wash in Nero's "Me & You" creates a nice flood (TICK); in "It's OK" Cee Lo Green's soul feels washed out (NO TICK); Martin Solweig & Dragonette sound worthlessly cute and cynical in "Hello," even if hope resides behind the cynicism and even though beats and melody try to start something up (BORDERLINE NONTICK); Professor Green ft. Maverick Sabre let us know it's a "Jungle" out there, and go under (NO TICK); and James Blake sounds so self-involved in "Limit To Your Love" that you want to bite your own teeth, but he squeaks and scratches his way to beauty, with bass throbs and slow snares anchoring him (BORDERLINE TICK).
Taio Cruz ft. Travie McCoy "Higher": "Dynamite" threw several kitchen sinks at us while never - to my ears - finding its groove; I felt affection for its ambition and confusion, even if I never got comfortable. "Higher," in contrast, is all smoothness and comfort, shapely fishnet synths, steady four-four beat, the word "higher" sung on all the high notes, tasty, tasteful, affable. Don't know if it'll stick, but that's not its assignment anyway. TICK.
Flo Rida ft. Akon "Who Dat Girl": Max 'n' Luke 'n' Benny rejigger the California Gurl synths for another coast. Akon crushes Flo Rida, which says more about Flo Rida than about him; but with the sound-filter effectively thinning out his voice, he actually skips along nicely rather than weighing us down with his usual gloop. He's the song more than Flo Rida is, so the latter's tired rhythm is survivable. Not that I'd want to hear this every day on the radio or anything. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Meanwhile in the U.K., the guitar wash in Nero's "Me & You" creates a nice flood (TICK); in "It's OK" Cee Lo Green's soul feels washed out (NO TICK); Martin Solweig & Dragonette sound worthlessly cute and cynical in "Hello," even if hope resides behind the cynicism and even though beats and melody try to start something up (BORDERLINE NONTICK); Professor Green ft. Maverick Sabre let us know it's a "Jungle" out there, and go under (NO TICK); and James Blake sounds so self-involved in "Limit To Your Love" that you want to bite your own teeth, but he squeaks and scratches his way to beauty, with bass throbs and slow snares anchoring him (BORDERLINE TICK).
