Well folks now we’ve tried 2010 on for size and got a feel of its fit, its time for me to have a gander at the first clutch of singles that have been passed my way. Alas I start on something of a sour note (you don’t say) with the latest release from JLS ‘One Shot’. It’s an interesting title because with the best will in the world it would take more than one shot to remove this blight from all our lives. As the more discerning amongst you might already have realized this is purely poops and giggles for the pre pubescent market who will readily pay through the nose to make this their ringtone of choice in the coming weeks. Expect the usual boy band affair, earnest tortured vocal about some lass the lead singer fancies but he cant quite summon the bottle to ask out (just tell her you are famous mate, that might at least get you a superficial and meaningless shag which you will reflect on in the cold and lonely years ahead. When you’ve been stiffed by your management and label and you’re possibly working in a leisure centre regaling all and sundry about how you once rode the charts like a jockey on a stallion made of diamonds…or something…look I don’t know what’s going to happen do I?).

Anyway if you’re twelve, it’s probably great, if you’re more than twelve it’s frankly cack. But Hey it’s out on Feb 22nd and they are touring as well (snipers take note…just kidding).

Next up is the strangely dour Scotsman Calvin Harris (have you read his posts on twitter, sometimes I think he suffers from depression). Anyhoo all that aside his latest track ‘You Used To Hold Me’ is no great departure from his usual club friendly formula and you know something, I’m alright with that. As a producer Calvin is pretty solid and once again with a good suite of remixes behind it this could do the business on the dance floor, as is the case with most of the material from his last album it lacks the wry self depreciating humour that initially endeared him to so many but overall this ain’t a bad nugget of pop/dance. Cheer up lad, it could be worse. It’s out on Feb 8th.

Lemar is up next, he’s got a greatest hits collection out in March (yep, he’s been around that long). Out on 14th Feb ‘The Way Love Goes’ is something of a departure for Britain’s most successful soul export, there’s never been any question that he can sing and he’s proved his mettle with no less than four MOBO wins and two Brit awards under his belt. However in this instance there’s way too much production on this, his usually honeyed vocals are swamped beneath layers of vocoder and effects, it does him no favours and just makes him sound…well, not cool.

Finally I’ll close with the latest from stadium bothering pop rock merchants Kasabian and their new single ‘Vlad The Impaler’ out on Feb 15th. Taken from their last album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ it is a dependable slab of fuzzy guitar laden rock with a sensibility to it that could see it as a club crossover. Tom Meighan’s trademark loud and laddish vocal style has often led to Oasis comparisons (and derisions) but frankly this is more nimble than anything they achieved in their closing years, almost funky, almost bluesy. Go on I’ll recommend it.