This Week's Singles

Take That, like All Saints, have made the pretty smooth transition from obscurity back to the pop scene again. “Patience” (***) is exactly the kind of song you knew they’d come back with – a mid-tempo James Blunt lighter in the air anthem that doesn’t embarrass them but doesn’t exactly set the world on fire either. You’d think at least one of the other three would be allowed to sing this time though.

As noted further down, Emma Bunton’s “Downtown” (*) is a predictable and completely uninspiring choice to launch her album. She’s never going to be the most exciting artist in the world but the 60s retro Bond themes, bossanova and easy listening pop worked so well on her last album so it’s a shame to see her reduced to doing nothing more than karaoke.

The Feeling’s singles seem to be following a pattern. Sewn was great, Fill My Little World was not, Never Be Lonely was great, “Love It When You Call” (**) is not. They’re considered a “guilty pleasure” by many but they seem to have taken the whole irony a bit too far this time, sounding more like a MOR Darkness than an updated version of ELO.

Lemar’s last single was the most boring one of the year and “Someone Should Tell You” (**) isn’t much better. He really does seem to have abandoned the prospect of being the UK’s best R&B talent and is now settling for the kind of dated watered down soul that Smooth FM playlist to death.

Elsewhere, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the most over-rated band this decade, release more cod-funk with the awfully-titled “Snow (Hey Oh)” (*), Pink’s tradition of releasing at least one self-pitying dirge per album continues with “Nobody Knows” (*) and finally Faithless return after their huge selling Greatest Hits with “Bombs” (****) a Royksopp-style track featuring Harry from Kubb which leaves you underwhelmed at first but slowly grows on you and is indeed, this week’s Single Of The Week.