This Week's Singles

In an extremely poor week for singles, it's only two re-releases that are worthy of any attention.

Firstly, Mercury Music Prize nominees Hot Chip with "Over and Over." (****) Ignored first time around , it now seems to be a staple of the music channels thanks to its genius green screen video which is just as fun as the record. Combining electro-pop, guitar solos, an eye test recital and lyrics about monkeys with miniature cymbals, it is a bizarre but completely infectious record which will hopefully chart a lot higher this time around.

And secondly, Corinne Bailey Rae with the lovely "Like A Star." (***) It's becoming the norm to criticise Rae in the same way Dido was for being too "coffee-table", which is rather unfair in my opinion, and seems to only be happening because she's actually selling records. Put Your Records On became irritating due to overplay, but this and her last single have both been lovely, effortless, chillout soul. It does sound out of place in the middle of October though.

Blazin Squad seem to have more lives than a cat. Despite selling zero albums, losing virtually all their members and and indeed their most high-profile, Kenzie, they're back, with a more "mature" i.e. (less chav) sound for what will be their third album. There's only four of them now, and while "All Night Long" (**) is pleasant enough watered-down R&B similar to Craig David's recent stuff, it's not going to be enough to make anybody pay attention.

The Beatfreakz do the usual thing that most novelty dance acts do and release a record almost exactly the same as your first with "Superfreak" (*), Luther Vandross releases his first post-humous single with "Shine." (**) Hopefully that will be it and the record company won't try and do a Tupac and milk all his unheard, "wasn't good enough to be released when he was around" material for all they can, and The Webb Sisters release more MOR country-rock with their second single "Still The Only One", (***) which will fill The Corrs-shaped voice nicely enough for now.

Worst single of the week, and unfortunately, probably the biggest contender for #1 next week is the hideously overblown "Welcome To The Black Parade" (no stars) by the woeful My Chemical Romance. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion at the moment but has there ever been a more contrived music genre than emo?