This is a review by guest blogger Danny Jay who will hopefully be bringing many more single and album reviews to the blog in time to come!
This is the lead single from Train, the band that brought you 'Drops of Jupiter' back in 2001. It is a catchy pop-rock song along the same vein as Bedouin Soundclash and Jason Mraz which has been popular with the masses recently.
The ukulele used throughout the song is a clever addition which adds to the whole Hawaiian theme. With upbeat rhythm and simple lyrics, its easily enjoyable for the intended target audience. Patrick Monahan's distinctive voice effortlessly singing the song will ease Train fans in and by the second chorus they will all be humming along.
Technically, the song is quite simple in 4/4 timing and never really straying from the same progression from the start, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it helps keep the familiarity with listeners. There are a few "hey, heys" in the song, which isn't something I generally enjoy hearing but they slipped under the net of the ukulele and now they give the song a part where everyone can sing along, even if they don't know the lyrics. The lyrics are a bit simple and at times cringeworthy ("So gangster, I'm so thug, You're the only one I'm dreaming of" - clearly, you're no thug Mr Monahan) and there are some references to other bands that may catch the attention of radio listeners.
Ultimately, you can't argue that this is an all-round upbeat and happy song and it's sold over 3 million copies/ downloads in America alone AND has featured on a Samsung 3D TV advert. One word of advice: anyone thinking that the rest of the album (Save Me, San Francisco) is going to be Hawaiian-y, it sounds more like the older Train that we remember, just a bit more grown up.
Rating - 3/5
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