This week sees the glorious comeback of some ‘old’ favourites, like Amanda Marshall, Queens Of The Stone Age and Tenacious D. And they don’t return with half-baked wannabe tracks. No, they provide us with some of the week’s best new music. Top of the bill, in that respect, are Sparks. Their new single has the unmistakable Sparks stamp on it. However, in 2023 – over 56(!!!) years after brothers Ron and Russell Mael made their first recordings as Urban Renewal Project – they sound as fresh as ever.

Yes, you read that well. The band ultimately known as Sparks first entered the studio in January 1967. They were soon discovered by Todd Rundgren and, sorry if this sounds lazy, ‘the rest is history’. Despite regularly changing styles, their songs are immediately recognizable. The same goes for their visual representations throughout the years. For almost six decades now, Sparks have been at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.

Their 26^th studio album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte (out on 26 May) was already preceded by its title track and Veronica Lake. But single #3, Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is, is the most accessible track off it so far. A hi-NRG song with upbeat drums, guitars, Ron’s subtle piano and Russell’s authentic vocals, which could have been recorded when they formed FFS, with Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. Let me tell you it’s beyond good, and despite the tune’s title, you can trust me on this one.

Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is by Sparks is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.

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Follow the duo on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2023 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Tom Grennan’s collaborations with dance artists are sure fire hits. His 2016 single with Chase & Status, All Goes Wrong, became his big break, while By Your Side (with Calvin Harris) was a pan-European hit. However, I personally like his own (pop) singles better. His new one is another great example why.

How Does It Feel is the third single to be released ahead of Grennan’s upcoming third album. The longplayer, What Ifs And Maybes, will be out on 16 June. The British singer and songwriter said about the record: “I want (people) to feel they have no stress and no worries when they’re listening to these songs. So I made that conscious decision to write some up-tempo songs that can live in a party world.”

New single How Does It Feel is a good example. Speaking about the track, he explained: “This song is a reflection of a moment in my life when I realised I had let something unreal slip. It’s a reflection on the excitement that comes when you know you have a chance to rebuild. It’s exciting, fun, and gives you the energy to want to get up and do what you believe in!”

With its upbeat drums, sunny guitar sound and catchy lyrics, How Does It Feel by Tom Grennan is a contender for the Summer Song of 2023 trophy.

For starters, it’s the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.

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Follow Tom Grennan on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2023 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.