Adele – “Skyfall”: The class act from Britain has, in one of the least shocking yet most widely applauded moves in show business, helped to pen and performed the theme for the new 007 flick, Skyfall. The tone of the song is the quintessential prelude to a James Bond movie. Sultry, epic, and foreboding. It lacks the cheese factor of some earlier Bond themes (i.e., the theme for A View to Kill composed by Duran Duran. Then again, it was the 80s.). I hope the movie beats Quantum of Solace and matches the classiness of this song.
Two Door Cinema Club – “Sleep Alone”: Our boys from the UK are back with Beacon, and this is the amazing first single. Alex Trimble’s restrained yet on point vocals carry the track, as usual. The club-ready percussion at the beginning contrasted with Trimble’s introspective singing just BEGS to be blasted at full volume. The surreal music video is well done and contrasts sharply with some of the band’s previous film work, most notably “Something Good Can Work.”
Purity Ring with Danny Brown – “Belispeak II”: The ethereal duo pairs their creepy music, this tune with an unmistakable hook with the rhymes of Danny Brown. It works. Actually, it somehow works better than you think it would while at the same time sounding not too far off from what you would expect from a hip hop/Purity Ring collaboration. The music isn’t tweaked a ton, but its done just enough to add an element of freshness and allow for smooth insertion of Brown’s vocals.
