Girls Aloud - "Long Hot Summer"Sometimes I feel like I've metamorphized into some kind of involuntary promotional tool for Girls Aloud over the past couple years, yet when I really think about it, I find no compelling reason to change that. "Long Hot Summer" is the best single of the year by such a very wide margin it isn't even funny. The fact that the initial general reception to this was kind of lukewarm is just utterly batshit insane to me. What everyone needs to remember is that "Love Machine" (of all songs) was the one that nobody really "got" in the beginning, but judging from radio play and eventual popular response, that one looks like it may stand the test of time better than any of them. But let's get back to "Long Hot Summer", because this song is close to perfect in every regard. I read someone describing this as sort of a compacted Girls Aloud greatest hits, and I don't think there's a more accurate description really. It has the charming accessibility of "Love Machine", the spirited tambourine and spoken/sung outro bit of "No Good Advice", the bass groove of "Jump", a mid-song "rap" like in "Graffiti My Soul"...plus all the standard Xenomania swirling synths and guitar hooks. It's just this amazing amalgamation of so many of their best moments. Lyrically, they're on top form as usual, presenting a fucking highlight reel of catchphrases, graceful rhymes, and playful metaphors. As far as innuendo goes, it doesn't get much funnier or more tongue-in-cheek than "Baby, baby, watch the needle when you're headin' south!". PLUS, Xenomania have seemingly kicked back their achilles heel and written a chorus that not only stands up to the rest of the song, but may even be its selling point. I truly cannot express how fantastic I think this single is. A good barometer for evaluating A-rate singles is the tolerance (or lack thereof) you have for listening to other songs. Let's just say that in the past week I've lost count of the times I've thought to myself, "Why in God's name am I listening to this when I could be listening to "Long Hot Summer?", while frantically mashing the skip button.
Following
Sound Of The Underground, Brian Higgins said that the third Girls Aloud album would be the real bombshell. Yup, I'm once again in full-on album anticipation mode, and until it arrives, not much else musical is going to matter.
If you've ever been interested in watching what is perhaps the
worst movie ever, you now have your chance.
I'm normally of the opinion that the U.S. pop charts would be better served to embrace novelty songs like the U.K. charts do. That said, you've got to trust me when I say that
this is bad news for us all. I love the fact it smashed Coldplay and I'm thrilled the kids love it, but I'm very much hoping it doesn't crossover to a point of pop culture ubiquity over here, mainly because it's annoying as hell.
Download at your own risk.
And WTF is up with this giant gap thing?
So what does a guy do when he has the summer off with no responsibilities whatsoever? He stays up until 1:30 in the morning to listen to the premiere of the new Girls Aloud single "Long Hot Summer" on BBC radio of course. Kudos to the uploader on muzicmatters.net who had this thing up less than five minutes after it was first played. Radio rip of course. Real fans don't concern themselves with things like sound quality.
Oh and I like it. Just how much is yet to be determined.
LATE NIGHT EDIT: RCQS 9/10. God I'm predictable.
