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Written by McClatchy -Tribune
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Wednesday, 09 August 2006 |
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There is no Billboard chart for summer songs, no Grammy category or even a list on iTunes.
But you know a great summer song when you hear one. It’s upbeat in both tempo and mood, with a catchy hook that seizes your senses like cocoa-butter lotion. It makes you want to cruise in your car with the top down or the sunroof open, and the radio turned up. It feels like walking on sunshine.
This has been a very good year for summer songs. Here’s a selection of current singles that would make an ideal summer soundtrack for an iPod or a mixed CD.
• ”Put Your Records On,” Corinne Bailey Rae. The title of this breezy U.K. hit is a tip-off: It has an infectious Sly Stone summer vibe, with a hippie-ish hint of Joni Mitchell.
• ”Faith,” The Boy Least Likely To. The twee British pop duo reworks the 1987 George Michael hit with banjo, tape loops, odd percussion instruments and, of course, acoustic guitar.
• ”Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles. This sunny, optimistic Jersey-flavored number may have topped the country charts but soars like a classic Springsteen rocker.
• ”Brand New Girlfriend,” Steve Holy. The Texan’s twangy romp is where fiddle-flavored Western swing meets piano-propelled rock ’n’ roll. Some might consider the protagonist insensitive or sexist, but, hey, it’s only rock ’n’ country.
• ”Woman,” Wolfmother. Loud, head-shaking, muscular rock from Down Under that will set you free in less than three minutes.
• ”Hips Don’t Lie,” Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean. The multi-culti melange of Mexican horns, Latin rhythms, a pop chorus and Wyclef’s rap is irresistibly and deliciously danceable.
• ”Black Sweat,” Prince. The summer has been steamy enough but this spare, slinky electro-funk generates super-sexy heat that measures up to Prince’s boundary-breaking heyday.
• ”Ain’t No Other Man,” Christina Aguilera. This slab of summertime soul blends hip-hop beats, vintage horns and serious old-school vocalizing. There hasn’t been a single this satisfyingly sassy since LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade.”
• ”Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley. Mix sanctified `70s soul with a sleek modern-day, psychedelic vibe and you’ve got a 2006 crazy-sexy-cool sensation.
• ”California Girls,” Gretchen Wilson. In this playful country boogie, this trailer-treasure queen takes the opposite approach of the Beach Boys. “Ain’t you glad we ain’t all California girls,” she boasts as she disses Paris Hilton’s fake smile and faux tan, and praises fried chicken and dirty dancing to Merle Haggard.
• ”Stars Go Blind,” Paris Hilton. OK, it’s pop-piffle befitting a vapid star, but this “reggae-lite” number seduces like Blondie’s “The Tide Is High” delivered with a breathier-than-Marilyn Monroe voice. And this song has the hottest beach-themed video since Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”
• ”Black Horse and a Cherry Tree,” KT Tunstall. The rhythmic drive of her acoustic guitar gets me going — and so does her growl.
• ”Promiscuous,” Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland. Despite the title, this is a PG-13 tease, a call-and-response flirtation between Nelly and producer Timbaland, complete with “Miami Vice” synths and an ‘80s vibe.
• ”SOS,” Rihanna. The recurring two-note synth pings sampled from Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” keep me hooked on my desire to help Rihanna. | Only registered users can write comments.
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