Prince - Baltimore
Recorded at Paisley Park last week, Baltimore is Prince's response to racial unrest in the US. Much like Bob Marley's War, the song states unequivocally that it is those who inflict injustice, rather than those who rise up in opposition to it, who are responsible for conflict when it arises. "Peace is more than the absence of war," Prince sings at one point. The song later concludes with a chant of "If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace". Topical, timeless, righteous and funky: that's Blockbusters in any language!
The Chemical Brothers & Q-Tip - Go
The Chemical Brothers, dance legends and perennial festival-act-my-friends-somehow-aren't-yet-tired-of-seeing, are back with a new album (Born in the Echoes). This single is so-so, but what really confounds is the video by Michel Gondry. It defies belief that a director responsible for such unforgettable classics as Daft Punk's Around the World and The White Stripes' Fell in Love with a Girl could stumble to producing something this . . . well, lame.
Frankie & The Heartstrings - Save It for Tonight
Frankie & The Heartstrings sounds like the name of a '50s a cappella group. But these Sunderland rockers clearly only have ears for the decade just past. There's a former member of the Futureheads on bass and the guitars here couldn't be more like The Strokes if they only dated models and went to finishing school in Switzerland.
Mothers and Fathers - I Will Always Love You
Mothers and Father are a duo from north Co Dublin who have recorded this excellent original track in support of the campaign for Marriage Equality. Since it comes as a free download, we assume that’s moral rather than financial support. Well, hey, every little helps!
