SINGLES

Eoin Butler’s guide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM

Great Expectations

SideOne Dummy Records ****

On the opening track from their second album, The '59 Sound, the Gaslight Anthem claim their place among the long and illustrious ranks of blue-collar New Jersey rockers.

THE SATURDAYS

Just Can't Get Enough

Polydor ***

The girl-band sensation du jour cover Depeche Mode for this year’s second Comic Relief single. Ah, the Saturdays: so exotic, so glamorous and unattainable . . . hold on a second, is one of them really called Una?

PET SHOP BOYS

Love Etc

Parlophone ***

Recently recognised for outstanding contribution to British music at the Brit Awards, Neil Tennent and Chris Lowe aim for their 40th hit single with this offering from their forthcoming Yesalbum.

MICACHU AND THE SHAPES

Lips

Rough Trade ****

Scratchy, experimental and barely a minute long, this track from 21-year-old Mica Levi is no less essential for that.

THE FOXES

Bill Hicks

Room 10 Records **

For a man who's been dead for 15 years, Bill Hicks has certainly been pretty ubiquitous lately. Last month US talk-show host David Letterman had the comedian's mother on his show and apologised personally for cutting Hicks's last Late Nightappearance. There's even been talk of a Hicks biopic, starring Russell Crowe. This pop-rock tribute doesn't add much. Indeed, with lyrics that plead "tell me what I want to hear", it's not even clear that the Foxes even get what Hicks was all about.

T.I. FEATURING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Dead and Gone

Atlantic ***

Rapper T.I. teams up once more with Justin Timberlake (their first collaboration was on 2006's My Love) and gives props to one of his homies who was gunned down last year. Well, you've got to say, that certainly opens up some previously unchartered territory for the entire rap-music genre.

LAURA IZIBOR

Shine

Atlantic ***

Another 21-year-old singer songwriter, Laura Izibor has been hailed by some as Ireland’s answer to Alicia Keys. Five years after she won the Jacobs/2FM Song Contest, this is her long- awaited debut single.