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(. Switch a light on, willya?)

Not that this song is going to do anything to change this state of affairs. A mournful, soulful account of a ruined relationship which owes a slight debt to 'Everybody's Talkin', with a swooping enormochorus. Daniel once again sings his heart out, and once again just misses perfection by a margin of only a millimetre or so.

I can't tell if it's the quiet, uncharismatic way he has about him or the song's melodic weak spots which is the problem - for all that the chorus is great, there's a bridge which doesn't really work - but somehow this isn't an easy song to get excited about.

Then there's the niggling strangeness about the last line in the chorus. It's the bit which should entirely cement the point Dan's making to the person he loves, but it seems to have been compromised by the need to find a word that rhymes with "head" (unless there's an undercurrent of domestic violence to the song that I've entirely missed, and the red means blood).

I mean, what's so bad about painting something red?

Here's how the chorus goes, in my head at least:

"I can't do this by myself" Oh man I have SO been there...
"All of these problems, they're all in your head" That's my life, man..
"And I can't be somebody else" Oh Daniel, how do you KNOW me so well?
"You took something perfect..." Ooh yeah, here it comes. You are NAILED, situation!
"...and painted it red" Uh...really? Hmm...

Still, at least he didn't name the entire song after that bit, eh? That would be cracke...oh.

Download: Out now
CD Released: May 18th

´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

"It's an effortless performance that gives him a bit of edge."
"If anyone can point out how this is substantially different from the last power ballad released by Robbie Williams, let me know" "['Red'] describes what we all go through in life, relationships and heartache."