FOREGONE CONCLUSION
Lady Gypsy ★★★
On this video from his David Brent: Life on the Road movie, Gervais appears to have lost track of what made his beloved character so memorable. In the original series of The Office, Brent was human. Painfully, painfully human. Free Love Highway, the song he sang in the training-day episode, might have been godawful. But we all fully believed Brent thought it was the business. Lady Gypsy, by contrast, seems more like scripted comedy than misguided balladeering. Like something Flight of the Conchords might have done. Except rather less funny.
FALL OUT BOY ft. MISSY ELLIOT
Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid) ★★★
RCA
The internet is a cesspool of misogyny. If the Gamergate controversy taught us anything, it taught us that. Still, sexism can't entirely explain the tidal wave of hatred the forthcoming all-female Ghostbusters reboot has generated online. In truth, everything we've seen of it so far appears cynical, soulless, derivative and designed by committee. To wit this song.
RIHANNA
Sledgehammer ★★★
Interscope
Okay, I'm throwing in the towel. At this point, I might as well just concede that this week's column is entirely dedicated to promo singles from shite summer reboot movies. Rihanna's new single is from the soundtrack to Star Trek Beyond. (Beyond what? Space? Credulity? The audience's will to live?) Sledgehammer was co-written with Sia so, admittedly, it isn't terrible. But, still…
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
Rising Water ★★★★
Believe Recordings
The lead single from McMorrow's third album We Move is this rather funky track, produced by Drake acolyte Nineteen85. It sounds like Bon Iver meets Future Islands and it isn't culled from some terrible film soundtrack. Which makes it, by default, my track of the week. Hurrah!
