Jasmine Ash - Starlight

Revolving on an axis of jolly, childlike piano and sugary sweet vocals, Jasmine Ash's debut single Starlight recalls Feist at her most poppy - think of a more up-tempo 1, 2, 3, 4 and you'll be on the right track.

Co-written and produced by two of the members of Phantom Planet (them of the OC theme tune fame), Starlight benefits from the group's keen sense of pop sensibilities and plays to all the surefire recipes for crafting the most indelible of tunes - chiefly a cute whistling section.

The track's undeniably sweet overtones clearly strike a chord as they're currently soundtracking a new TV campaign of Ferrero Rocher adverts and if anything, that chocolatey burst of goodness is the perfect confectionary-based equaivalent to this rather charming track's appeal.

Coming up with advert-friendly songs is something of a habit for Jasmine, one of the other cuts from her debut album was used as part of a tutorial for the iPad 2.

It's a sign of the times that this now seemngly uber-popular trend for airy piano-pop with vocals supplied courtesy of up and coming female artists is so inescable these days - but if you're searching for the best of the bunch amidst the increasingly crowded market, Jasmine is assuredly one of the superior finds.

Starlight is released on the 26th December with her debut album Beneath the Noise following in February.

Matt Cardle - Glimpses of something good

It's a rare occasion that every single song on an album is bad. And as much as it would give the detractors of Matt Cardle (myself included) great pleasure to say that the X Factor winner's album is one such record, the truth is that even amidst the indulgent, strained thing of mediocrity that his debut is, there's actually a couple of really good tracks on there.

The best, for me, is Stars & Lovers. Yes, it sounds like a Keane rip-off - but that's also its saving grace, because quite frankly, Keane are brilliant. The chord changes are strong, the chorus uplifting, and most importantly, it feels 'alive' - so unlike the tired nature that suffuses so much of Matt's album.

There's also Starlight - God knows why they didn't choose this as the lead single as it's miles better than Run For Your Life. It seems the draw of a big name songwriter (Gary Barlow) presented a far more attractive prospect to Matt's label, but in all reality, Starlight is a far stronger track. At its best, it's Coldplay-esque, driven by a rhythmic string section.

I hear Starlight is already lined up as the second single from the album, and it's a wise move - Matt may find he actually wins himself a few new fans with this one. Who knows, in a parallel universe, his album may even have been as consistently good as this all the way though - but for the time being, the search for a make X Factor solo star of that calibre still eludes us.

Only time will tell what becomes of Matt Cardle - but it's reassuring that in songs like Stars & Lovers, there is at least some merit to him.

Matt Cardle's album Letters is available to download on iTunes now.

Matt Cardle - Letters [Album Previews]

As is the norm for X Factor winners these days, Matt Cardle has wisely taken a year out to record his debut album, and now we have our first taste of what it all sounds like, courtesy of iTunes.

Part of me had been previously inclined to think that album would be a lot rockier than Matt's 'taster' winner's single When We Collide, but the truth is that everything else on the record fits neatly alongside it.

The closest comparison is of course Take That - after all, Matt worked with TT head-honcho Gary Barlow himself on Run For Your Life. It's solid, dependable pop - track after track. And while it may be a little more earnest and weighty than previous X Factor branded material, it still falls chiefly into the category of glossed up Christmassy ballads.

What it sounds like Matt has tried to do here is - track by track - reference as many of his contemporaries  as possible: Stereophonics (All For Nothing), Keane (Stars & Lovers), James Blunt (Amazing), James Morrison (Faithless) - Matt turns his hand to turning out his best impressions of all of them. The emphasis seems forever on the creation of a 'big' sound, tear-jerking ballads that allow Matt to put across that grittier side of his voice that served to make him a favourite on the show last year.

Of course, the danger is that so much of the album sounds too similar. Put through the filter or Matt himself, all those influences and contemporaries merge into one anonymous wedge of sound. The album might be consistent, but it also falls prey of having too few standout moments.

That's not to say it has none though - Starlight makes for a strong opening to the album, a kind of Rule The World style bit of epic emotion-tugging pop. Surely a future single.

Beat of a Breaking Heart is the only true highlight though, and also the only genuinely individual moment on the album. Here, Matt finally sounds like he's doing his own thing. It's a gorgeous, minimalist ballad - orchestral strings swelling to a cinematic crescendo.

More like this in the future please Matt!

Letters is available to pre-order on iTunes now.

(Video) Wonderland - Starlight

I featured Wonderland's brilliant new single Starlight on the blog this time last month and it's still one of my favourite tracks at the moment; a real storming pop-rock anthem guaranteed to get audiences up on their feet at concerts. Today the band have unveiled the official video for the track, featuring the girls wearing some rather lovely floral dresses and walking around in a desert. Have a watch below:

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.

Wonderland - Starlight

Not to be confused with the new Sophie Ellis-Bextor track of the same name, Wonderland's next single following Not A Love Song is Starlight. While the full version of the track is yet to premiere yet, there are a number of clips of the track floating around on YouTube including a short extract of the studio version and a live performance.

My personal favourite has to be the dancey 7th Heaven Mix (who have previously re-worked The Saturdays' Higher). It starts slow and subtle before launching into a soaring, spacey chorus - properly epic in all sense of the word. The chorus of 'I wanna dance underneath your light, cos you pull me in like you're on my side. When I die in the day, I'm revived at night. Can I call you mine,' is just amazing; one of those real bliss on the dancefloor moments. And just at the end of the clip you can hear the beginnings of a dub-step breakdown. The mix just got even better.

What I really love is that as dancey as this version is, it retains enough pop sensibility that it could just as easily be presented as the radio version of the track. Fans of Girls Aloud and The Saturdays, if you haven't already checked out Wonderland then this could be the one to convert you.

In terms of the studio version, it's got a real drive to it and like Not A Love Song, really plays to the strengths of the girls' impressive harmonies. The band are currently in LA filming the video and we can't wait to see the finished thing!

Starlight is released on the 22nd May. You can also pre-order Wonderland's debut album here.