Who’d have thought that Christina Aguilera and Linkin Park could be such a compatible liaison? Evanescence’s ‘Bring Me To Life’ marries soaring vocals with brusque nu-metal, layered violins and rapping to create a power-ballad with a difference. Perhaps too melodramatic to ring true, Evanescence are nonetheless a breath of fresh air. Zwan, however, do lush melodic rock the way God intended. But when those alltoo familiar ‘Tonight Tonight’ drum rolls start up, one can’t help but feel that Billy Corgan has lost his edge. Alfie’s ‘People’ continues in a similarly innocuous pop-rock vein, but lacks both the passion of the Pumpkins and the stylish apathy of the Strokes, both of whom they try hard to emulate. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s not really the basis for a record deal.
ARCHIVE: 4th week TT 2003
Singles Plural
