Singles Round-up: 10/11/08

This week's releases

Fresh from the news there’s a whole batch of Christmas singles set to swamp the airwaves in a tide of jingle bells, Transylvanian choirs and Les Dennis dressed as a gnome (the Wombats are set to provide the laughs, Glasvegas the grandiose Chrimbo gloom), the coming weeks look set to be an exciting time in the singles stakes.

Sadly, this won’t be until December. So what of this week’s singles rundown?

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Single Of The Week – Friendly Fires: ‘Paris’

What better way to ward off the sub-zero typhoons reducing your nogin to an ice block every time you venuture out than re-release of summer smash ‘Paris’. Ok, it may have been released already, but that doesn’t stop its Rio Carnival cowbell percussions, icy synths and post-Bloc chorus beamed from a Balearic island rave from sounding as good as ever. The only downside is the fact we already know it so well.

Howling Bells: ‘Into The Chaos’

Following their immense self-titled debut, it’s been a while since we last heard Juanita Stein and her honey-dipped larynx, but the good news is ‘Into The Chaos’ rivals anything on their debut (ok, maybe not ‘Low Happening’). Wading in sounding like PJ Harvey diving into a sea of soaring strings and surfing a wave of melody, ‘Into The Chaos’ is an ace comeback from the Aussie outfit. So, business as usual.

Listen To It Here

Colplay: ‘Lost’

Officially the biggest-selling band of the year, Coldplay return this week with ‘Lost’, a highlight from their fourth stadium-gobbling LP ‘Viva La Vida’. Chris Martin seems to have this emotive piano-ballad game wrapped up. If the Coldplay Book Of Album Cycle Rules are correct, this is the point they follow-up a reverb-soaked pop moment with a slow-building heart-on-sleeve ballad, and should see them nearing the new-U2 tag right about… now. Give the 79p download money to charity, steal the single from your mum.

The Automatic: ‘Magazines’

Last, but not least, its The Automatic, who are now minus one helium-screecher after Pennie’s departure, but are still gnawing their way back from becoming that ‘Monster’ band. ‘Magazines’ is a rant about the fickle fame game. Most slightly bored bands usually return with a bold-sounding American rawk-influenced second album and a song about how empty fame is. This is that song. Sounds a bit like Lostprophets chewing a bitter pill called Duran Duran.

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