Singles Releases 30/01//06

Boyfriend (Ashlee Simpson) - Ok, lets get this one out of the way straight from the off. It's brilliant. No, really it is. You can keep your Avril Lavigne, you can keep your Kelly Clarkson, hell you can keep whomever you want. I'll keep Ashlee. From the opening guitar riff to the last note, this is catchy rock-pop at it's finest. It's not got whinging lyrics, it doesn't attempt to be "deep", it's just a rollocking rip-roaring ride. Plus I can listen to it and imagine that Ashlee's singing it to Nadine, although obviously I want her to steal me. So this is the kind of "honest, nothing's going on" stage of the relationship :D

Hustler's Ambition (50 Cent) - Eminem does a shockingly decent film and backs it up with perhaps his career best song (Lose Yourself). Curtis Jackson, on the other hand, comes up with a poorly received film and this turgid song. Whatever the sample is, well that is cool...the rest is the kind of macho rubbish you'd expect from Fiddy.

Ladyflash (The Go! Team)- This would be a nice tune to be chilling out to in the back garden in the middle of summer with a few nice ice-cold Bud's by your side. Consequently it feels a little out of place in Ice-cold February. Having said that, I like it...I like it a lot. But it never quite lives up to the song that it could be.

Beast & The Harlot (Avenged Sevenfold) - I tried to listen this on their website, but frankly the set up scared me witless. So basically if this is your kind of thing, you'll love it. I didn't.

When I Think Of You (Lee Ryan) - We all know the young lad is a bit of an idiot. Although let's be fair, this is a perfectly pleasant little ditty, albeit one that shows no originality whatsoever. Still, I don't suppose his Blue fans will care about that.

Run It (Chris Brown ft. Juelz Santana) - This starts off a little like Usher's "Yeah" which is one of his least annoying songs. I have to say that this sort of tune is not really my thing at all, but as the genre goes it's quite good and I do love that 1980's throwback bit somewhere in the middle.

Beautiful Soul (Jesse McCartney) - This lad annoys me, purely from his "this is an advertisment" promo on the Box. Ok, so you really love meeting all the underage girls who want to stick their hands down your pants...? Well done son. I'll make a bet with you Jesse. If you keep releasing crap like this even the impressionable little girls will see through you.

Welcome To Wherever You Are (Bon Jovi) - Well at a push I suppose it's not bad. I mean its the same "slow" song they've been doing for the last 20 years, but I dont suppose that's about to put their legions of fans off is it?

Conceived (Beth Orton) - I have three Beth Orton albums, and I don't really know why. She's not bad at all but I never really listen to any of her songs. But this is definately one of her best songs to date. A nice piano driven melody which the cynics may say is a play for the James Blunt/KT Tunstall wedge of the market but personally I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. A welcome return.

Perfume (Sparks) - I've always had a soft spot for the Mael's. I wasn't actually sure whether this is the single or not as I thought it was scheduled to be the wonderfully titled "Dick Around" but all the sites seem to confirm it's this one although none can seem to agree on the release date. Still the spiel on Gut Records website says it all..."Thirty girls’ names, thirty brands of perfume. Only on a Sparks record." Utter brilliance.

Yard Of Blonde Girls (Micah P Hinson)- A Jeff Buckley cover I believe. It's got a kind of quirky charm I suppose, but to be honest I won't be listening to it again.