New Music Friday Review:

So it's time to review the music that arrived on Friday and it was quite the busy New Music Friday with new music from Lorde, 5th Harmony and Peking Duk amongst those dropping new music so we'll begin with 5th Harmony


Song: Down
Artist(s): 5th Harmony featuring Gucci Mane.




So it's the first 5th Harmony single without Camila Cabello and I was hoping for a major improvement given they have ended up in my worst song of the year list two years running for "Worth It" in 2015 and 'Work from Home" last year and with the weakest vocalist of all five having gone solo there was some hope, right?

Well, "Down" really doesn't depart from the "Work From Home" recipe book unfortunately, sparse tropical percussion and a nasty addiction to cliches (they should really see a doctor about that) permeate their way through "Down" that remind me of how heinously AWFUL "Work From Home" was and . 5th Harmony need to sit down with song writers who aren't stuck in the world of cliches and isn't holding somebody down a form of abuse but hey I might be wrong there.

5th Harmony, you are getting beyond frustrating now or maybe just aren't for me.

Rating; They might well get third consecutive year in my year end worst list.  3/10



Song: Perfect Places
Artist: Lorde





"Perfect Places" is the 2nd single from Lorde's 2nd albim entitled Melodrama due to be released on 16th June and after the piece of pop perfection that was "Green Light", I was expecting a bit of a comedown on the brilliance with "Perfect Places" so was I proven wrong?

Ultimately the answer is yes, "Perfect Places" is actually better than "Green Light" in my opinion. Darker but really laden with an incredible hook "What the f*** are perfect places anyway?". Its a killer song with a wonderful groove with lyrics describing that feeling of young people either being drunk or wasted at a party at 3am in the morning and while I have never been at a party at 3am in the morning (I know I have kind of lived a sheltered life)

Lorde is on fire with songs from Melodrama so bring on that album.

Rating: Not quite completely perfect but close too. 9/10



Song: Run
Artists: Foo Fighters




While I like rock music, Foo Fighters really aren't my kind of thing, sure, I can listen to most Foo Fighters songs without cringing but when I am in need of a rock music fix they aren't the first band I turn to for that fix of guitars and drums.

So being totally unbiased here, "Run" is actually pretty damn good and I suspect all Foo Fighters fans will be playing this song over and over again. It's got a great feel and Dave Grohl sounds incredible. Yeah, its not my kind of thing but I'm not going to complain or change the station if radio were to play it.


Rating: 8/10


Song: Fake Magic
Artist(s): Peking Duk, Alunageorge




Most know I am most definitely not into any kind of dance music or techno stuff so I was a wee bit wary and quite honestly really not sure I wanted to hear this new song from Peking Duck. I hadn't heard much about so really there wasn't a reason to hear it but after reading reviews that suggested it was a pretty darn good  song, I gave "Fake Magic" a listen and yeah, it is extremely good if rather short.

It's a tropical almost late 70's disco throwback that just hits the spot every single time especially when it goes into the chorus. Boom! Also why does the chorus sound like "Attention" by Charlie Puth?


Rating: 7/10


Song: The Only High
Artist: The Veronicas




Jess and Lisa Origlasso are back with a new single from an upcoming fourth album after "On Your Side" really didn't take off despite being a great song, they have gone down the path of a piano inspired ballad with the "The Only High" that you could say is in a similar vein to "You Ruin Me" although "The Only High" lyrically seems like a song about being in love.

While I wouldn't say it's one of their best, its certainly a song I'll come back to as I do like the atmosphere around the music in "The Only High". It is a cute song.


Rating: 6/10


Song: Uh Huh
Artist: Julia Michaels





So Julia Michaels has finally followed up "Issues" with "Uh Huh", a song with a bit more attitude than the at times insipid and lazy "Issues" but quite honestly with the acoustic guitarm lyrics and bouncy chorus I kind of wish somebody like Avril Lavigne had of recorded this song because Julia Michael's voice really doesn't inspire any emotion or anything other than reaching for Avril Lavigne's album "Goodbye Lullaby". It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination but its not exactly good either.


Rating: 5/10 (Would have gotten a high ratimg if Avril or somebody with the attitude to match the song's vibe and lyrics was singing it)



Song: Wall of Glass 
Artist: Liam Gallagher





it's rare to see more than one out and out rock song on the New Music Friday playlist but hey I'll take it. Former member of Oasis Liam Gallagher has dropped a new single called "Wall of Glass" and quite honestly with electric guitars and a good beat, "Wall of Glass" is pretty damn good, its unlikely to be a hit given the fact that the public appetite for rock music has most infitely waned in recent years but I would definitely be happy if this became a big hit, Liam might be a bit of bad arse but can't deny a good song.


Rating: 9/10


Song: Know No Better
Artist(s): Major Lazer, Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, Quavo






So here is our almost weekly new piece of music featuring Quavo because he seems to be fucking ubiquitous but he isn't the main person responsible for "Know No Better", producer Major Lazer has come up with this song.

The piano intro is quite interesting but gets off for Travis Scott's verse quite abruptly before Camila Cabello pretty much grates on nerves with her warbling. Also is there any need to repeat words in the verses. "whipping that, whipping that, whipping that", its just irritating. Gahh, At least both Travis Scott and Quavo try to add something but I won't remember this song come the end of the year.


Rating: 4/10


Other songs worth a mention:
"Another Love Song" by Ne-Yo (Desperately trying to copy Bruno Mars style in an attempt for another hit, it's an okay song. Rating: 6/10)

"Unpredictable" by Olly Murs feat. Louisa Johnson (Generic and generally quite forgettable 4/10)


Best song of the week

Liam Gallagher is getting it this week for "Wall of Glass". Mainly cause rock is rare these days and I really want this song to chart


Worst song of the week

"Down" by Fifth Harmony is getting this. Now that Camila is gone there is absolutely no excuse for ripping off "Work from Home". Should have used the loss of Camila to pursue a change in their sound.


New Music Friday next week:

We're getting a collaboration between Justin Bieber and David Guetta called "2U" for some inexplicable reason.

I'll look at the new DJ Khaled featuring Drake song called "To The Max" next week cause generally a new song involving Drake can wait for a bit.

Katy Perry drops her new album "Witness" tomorrow, we can only hope the album is better than the three songs released from it so far.

Beyond that, I am not too sure as far as big releases go so we'll see.