New releases round-up - 13th June 2011

Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns +

An exciting re-release of the band's stellar A Thousand Suns album. This multi-disc version features a live CD recorded at the band's Madrid tour date where tracks from the current album are mixed in with old favourites. Classics like Numb and In The End make an appearance, ensuring you can rock to your heart's content.

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Nerina Pallot - Year of the Wolf

Classy, immensely soulful retro-pop from this lovely lady - you may remember her from 2006 single Everybody's Gone To War, but this new record sees her striking out in new, bold directions. Lead single Put Your Hands Up is one of the best pop records of the year, without a doubt, and makes for a punchy intro to the album.

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Take That - Progressed

In another 2 CD re-release this week, Take That pump their multi-million selling Progress album with eight new tracks and change the cover from Yellow to Red. Includes the magnificent electro-stomp of Love Love, taken from the soundtrack of the new X Men movie. Oh, and all nicely timed to tie in with the TT boys' massive stadium tour currently zipping up and down the UK.

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Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Make A Scene

Like Nerina, Sophie is an incredibly experienced hand in the pop game now, and the shiny, glistening hooks of Make A Scene make for a welcome return. It's been four years since her last album and in that time we've seen her collaborate with the Freemasons on the fantastic Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer), a track sure to have you partying long into the night. New single Starlight is a real treat too.

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Parade 'Ticking On It' as they rock Camden's KOKO

Yesterday I went along to the filming of the latest episode of T4's music show KOKO Pop at, yup, KOKO, in Camden. After a rather extended period of queuing (not all bad, I caught quite a tan in the sunny weather) we got let inside  to act as the studio crowd. It's fair to say everyone was rather excitable, which I imagine is exactly what the show's producers want. To be fair, it was a pretty amazing line-up, so a win-win situation for everyone really.

Heading things up was Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who blew me away with how stunning she looked. I've always thought Sophie was pretty, but just WOW, she was smoking today! Freemasons collab Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) got the crowd suitably warmed up and it was great to hear beautiful new single Starlight too. Next up was Clare Maguire, who sung Shield And Sword, one of the highlights from her rather good debut album.

For me it was all about Parade though, this was why I'd come, after all. Having seen them live quite a few times now, I had a fair idea of what to expect, but in the intimate grandeur of KOKO, the songs really came alive. The sound quality was incredible, showcasing the band's harmonies to their very best. It's so easy for people to dismiss girlbands as being average singers, but what you get with Parade is five extremely talented girls who easily possess the considerable vocal talents to match the quality of their songs.

Fan favourite Perfume was first up, followed by Top Ten single Louder, both accompanied by some seriously hot dance moves. Again, the girls excel in this department - every move is slick and rehearsed, but enlivened with the innate sense of fun and sheer force of personality that the band bring. Parade's performances are all about having fun and enjoying yourself. They definitely won over a few new fans too, the girl stood behind me in the audience couldn't keep quiet, so full of praise was she for the band.

Then out came the piano for one of my personal favourites Rokstar - if you haven't already downloaded this from Parade's website then you really need to right now as it's an utterly beautiful track that, heard in a live setting like this, sends shivers down your spine. Completely enchanting. We were all in for a treat next as the girls gave us an exclusive premiere of new song Ticking On It. Again featuring Bianca playing piano, it was a fun and frisky up-tempo number infused with the spirit of the band - girl power at its very best.

Me with Parade's Bianca and Lauren after the gig:

The complete line-up/setlist was as follows:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer), Starlight
Clare Maguire: Shield And Sword
Parade: Perfume, Louder, Rokstar, Ticking On It

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's new album has been a long time in the coming. But new single Starlight comes like a seal of quality, assuring that the wait will be more than worth it. With its beautiful, flowing feel and Pet Shop Boys-esque synth bassline, the song is every inch the picturesque, tranquil night-time scene its title depicts.

While perhaps not as instant as previous singles Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer and Bittersweet, the chorus holds strong and the track as a whole is musically far more intricate. Starlight holds real value for repeat listens, new treasures surfacing from the overlapping wave-like layers of its depths each time.

There's some definite New Order vibes here, as if Sophie made a conscious effort to produce Starlight as her ode to the eighties. The middle-eight in particular sounds as if it could have come straight off New Order's 1993 Republic album with its oh-so delicate touches of guitar.

Starlight is a crystaline thing of beauty, the lovely 'we found heaven in the dark' lyrics in the chorus channeling that effortless style and class that Sophie has always done so well. True pop queen glamour.

Starlight is released on the 30th May.