The report of our death was an exaggeration.
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[5.50]
Anthony Easton: Well constructed and genuinely happy, with some fantastic lines and some beautiful singing. Extra points for the woo woo sounds. Even more extra points for having one of the earwormiest choruses of the summer.
[8]
Jonathan Bogart: Is there really a market for being a slightly worse at everything OK Go?
[3]
Iain Mew: Ooh, an American take on… I don’t even know what we call the current UK scene I’m thinking of, but let’s imagine that if they were British they would be called Jukebox Ghost Club. Anyway, they fail to compete by dint of their song actually being memorable but since that’s both for having a fine hook and for the singer’s wavering voice being annoying, it evens out to the same place.
[5]
Alfred Soto: There’s something to straightening – in every sense – Of Montreal’s contortions, and the slickness doesn’t calcify into Maroon 5 shellac. The backing vocals and chicken scratch guitars help. But this dude sounds like he dedicated his misspent youth to tattooing the names of Elephant 6 bands on his pasty arms.
[5]
Will Adams: The important distinction is that he wants somebody but nobody in particular. Ben Thornewill may as well be addressing a different flame in each verse, giving “Somebody” a levity more befitting of the bright arrangement and those infectious post-chorus “ooh”s. It’s rare that bemoaning your singledom can sound so happy.
[6]
Brad Shoup: Between the Lumineers, this and, uh… YouTube’s response to “Hot Cheetos & Takis,” this could be the Whitest Week Ever on the ‘box. I award “Somebody” the silver for Ben Thornewill’s falsetto hook, which nearly papers over the astounding entitlement of the text. Crisp and unapologetically professional. Yep Roc shooting for the Adult Alternative chart: what a world.
[6]