New releases round-up - 8th May 2011

Alex Metric & Steve Angello feat. Ian Brown - Open Your Eyes

One of the best dance tracks I've heard in years and with a brilliant guest vocals spot from ex-Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown. Immensely uplifting and with a real punch to it, it also comes with a Rocky inspired video where a boxing robot punches off a guy's head.

Download

The Pierces - Glorious

More psychedelic 70s influenced fare from the pretty American sisters, this time with a religious twist. Glorious makes it three in the row for the duo as they show once again what an ear for melody and soothing harmonies they have.

Download

Yasmin - Finish Line

Feisty urban attitude and soulful Massive Attack vibes on Yasmin's second single. A strong, passionate follow-up to On My Own; this channels the same kinds of sounds and feelings, but with added epic-ness. A real star in the making.

Download

Hurts - Better Than Love (Freemasons Pegasus Mix)

Pegasus? What an amazing name for a remix! And while this re-work by the ever-wonderful Freemasons might not have anything to do with mythological animals, it injects Hurts' best single with real dancefloor staying power in this re-release. My favourite bit is the Godly sounding synth instrumental bit half-way through - pure heaven.

Download

Alex Metric & Steve Angello feat. Ian Brown - Open Your Eyes

After those premature Stone Roses reunion rumours, this briliant new track from dance producers Alex Metric and Steve Angello spotlights Ian Brown for all the right reasons. It's a cracking good dance track, following in the spacey, empowering feel of his My Way album.

The Rocky-montage styled video is fascinating too. Playing out like a little movie, we see a boxer training up to challenge an all conquering boxing robot. Sounds bizarre, but it's a slice of wonderful surrealism. In a cruel/amusing final twist (depending on which way you look at it), the robot comes back to life after finally being defeated and punches the guy's head clean off in a dramatic and immensely gory spray of blood.

As one of rock music's great heroes, it's often easy to remember that Ian Brown, the solo artist, has come up with some stunning pop tracks over the past decade or so. My Star, F.E.A.R., Stellify - all have at their heart an incredible knowledge of a great pop melody and catchy hooks. And open your eyes stands as a firm reminder of this - dressed up in glossy electronic production, it shoots straight for the heart.

Open Your Eyes is released on 8th May.