Beyonce - 1+1

It seems like only yesterday that we were subjected to the full on force of (Run The World) Girls, and truth be told, it only seemed to have fully 'arrived' with that jaw-droppingly amazing performance from the Billboard Awards.

But never one to rest on her laurels, Beyonce is already up and releasing a new single, entitled 1+1. (Yes, that's definitely '1+1', not One Plus One or any other maths/grammar variation on the matter...)

This is definitely more in If I Were A Boy territitory - all slow, chilled and ringing with guitar. And yes, Beyonce's vocal absolutely dominates as always

Then it all goes into an epic Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo. First thoughts: OH MY GOD... Is this actually happening? Beyonce sounding like Pink Floyd. It's bizarre, random, but so amazing. And I can tell that this will be a real grower too, just like Run The World was.

But then, all the best Beyonce singles always are.

Elbow - Open Arms

Everyone loves a bit of Elbow, don't they? There's something inherently charming about their innate English-ness and front-man Guy Garvey's everyman demeanor. And if Neat Little Rows was their new albums Grounds For Divorce, then surely Open Arms must be the new One Day Like This.

Let's have a look at the Elbow checklist. Big anthemic chorus. Twinkly guitars. A stomping, relentless drum beat. It's all there. One reason Elbow work so well is because their music is of the sort that, if you'll pardon the pun, opens its arms wide to the people. This is the sound of an arena of enraptured fans signing their hearts out to their idols. It's also the sound of a nation's emotions and spirit, captured perfectly in five minutes of delicate lyrical poetry. When Garvey calls out 'Everyone sing...', he calls out to us... you, I, and everyone we know. In one moment, a collective voice sings out; crystal clear and fine.

I think it took a performance like last night's breathtaking Comic Relief spectactular, complete with full choir, to make me fully realise the power of this song. In the context of the rest of Build A Rocket Boys! this is a triumphant late-album ballad, but taken on its own, Open Arms becomes the epic beauty it was always destined to be. Sometimes music speaks out to you, beyond any logic and reason; and this is one of those moments. Timeless and elegiac, this is Elbow once again hitting the heighest of heights.