Noah and the Whale - Tonight's The Kind Of Night

The success of Noah and The Whale's L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (God bless the fact you can copy and paste track names from iTunes) did so well came as a surprise and joy for me. In its majestic, waltz like splendour, it saw a band hitting their stride; the dream scenario for any band launching their latest album. Featuring on ITV's Dancing on Ice, it was swiftly propelled ever higher in the charts and even ended up on a Now That's What I Call Music - surely the ultimate accolade for any song, eh?

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. wasn't just Noah and the Whale producing a good track, it was the band marking out their place in the public awareness - it was the kind of record that could sell out a venue off its own back. The gateway was open then for a follow-up single to be equally well received.

Tonight's The Kind of Night then represents a the ride outwards through those gates to both corral yet more new fans to the band's cause and to say to those new to the cause 'Welcome, one and all - you're going to enjoy this...'. It's a crowd-pleaser at heart, a notion that conjures up visions of cheesy rock ballads - but it needn't be seen as such a dirty phrase. For Tonight's The Kind of Night, in its big, bouncy piano chords, jaunty chorus and soulful backing vocals, is a perfect example of a song doing exactly what its title says. Imagine the scene; a booze-laden New Year's Eve party, lots of friends and relatives around, champagne flowing freely - this is the song that will be playing on the stereo.

And just like L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N., the song reverberates in its own inherent classiness and charm. When the band first charted with 5 Years Time back in 2008, you'd scarce believe they could transform from that frisky campfire melody type stuff to the sweeping Deacon-Blue-esque anthems like Tonight's The Kind Of Night. And it's a sound that fits them like a glove. Noah and the Whale are the suave, good-looking best friend we all have. And just for tonight, they're letting us in on all the tricks of their trade. And boy does it sound good.

Tonight's The Kind Of Night is released on May 16th.

Toploader - A Balance To All Things

When you think of Toploader, you are inviably going to leap first to their cover of Dancing In The Moonlight. The band's biggest hit, it reached number seven in the UK charts all the way back in 2000. At the turn of the millenium, British music was a very different scene that it is today. In those innocent, naive days, a new decade gleaming bright before us; a track like Dancing In The Moonlight seemed bright and joyous - the perfect track to usher in a new era.

But instead it seemed only to over-shadow everything else the band did, the band eventually breaking up in 2003. But here stands a new decade, the band reformed, their new album Only Human all set to go, a legion of potential new listeners out there. And single A Balance To All Things could very well be the track to win them around. The soulful, emotional vocals of the Toploader of old remain, but they come repackaged in a shiny new body.

Strong piano chords and muscular guitar riffs stand tall, striking out the foundations of a song that comes on like a mix of classic Echo & The Bunnymen and Deacon Blue. It's good old-fashioned rock with a soaring Brit-pop melody to match. A Balance To All Things indeed - this track plays the field, touching base on all grounds to ensure there's a little something for everyone here. This is music made to please.

There's even a brief, New Order-like bassline and the ever-so-slight shimmer of vocal effects. It's little touches like these that see Toploader dipping their feet into the waters of experimentation. A straight-up bit of radio friendly pop-rock this might be, but the willingness to explore new sounds is clear throughout the track, and it feels all the more adult for it.

Producer Ash Howes, who's previous work includes material with the likes of Girls Aloud, has also remixed the track for its single release.

A Balance To All Things is released on the 30th May. The band's new album Only Human can be pre-ordered here.