LAST WEEK'S SINGLE REVIEWS Electric Banana, www.electric-banana.co.uk The greatest fruit-themed music website in the Midlands

The world's biggest (and probably only) animated band return after a break of five photoshop-filled years with the release of their new album Plastic Beach next week. The album has already created a buzz amongst the critics as a "modern classic", so does the opening single here live up to the hype? Sort of.

Stylo is a dirty great slab of Kraftwerk-style electro with added hip-hop from Mos Def, Damon Albarn making his traditional understated joiner-of-dots contribution, and some powerful lung-breaking soul vocals from some old geezer called Bobby Womack. It's almost a textbook lesson in a successful collaboration - but they will have to do something "extra special" to beat the brilliance of their best single Dare.
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The Cave is the third single that the London folk quartet Mumford & Sons have released from their debut album, Sigh No More. The band continue to use the most ridiculous and least cool musical instrument of all time: the humble banjo - an instrument that we believe should be banned.

The banjo is also the only instrument that you cannot play a sad song on, so depite the slightly depressing lyrics about heartbreak, it launches into a big merry and euphoric two-fingered salute to anyone who suggests that you shouldn't use a banjo in popular music. Damn it.
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What the folk! Another decent American folk act? These guys created a mini-buzz amongst music journos over their debut album Gorilla Manor...which Electric Banana pretty much ignored. "Folk? Bit crap isn't it?" was our initial professional response.

Anyway, expect the traditional dodgy facial hair and lovely strumming of guitars etc. If you like Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear and Band Of Horses, then you'll probably love it! They display a keen ear for a catchy acoustic harmony - like they were brought up on old great Neil Young records. But they still haven't won us completely over yet! Slowly getting there though.
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These boys are a bit like Biffy Clyro - loud, epic, a bit Foo Fighters-esque, hairy, and err....Scottish.

Their latest tune here demonstrates that the Glasgow quartet can do rousing indie rock - even with a Scottish accent, given its rousing guitar and beefy chorus - which has to rate as one of their best so far. However, with Biffy and the Editors still very much on the "epic rock" scene, they need to write more songs like this....and perhaps even push it a bit further! They are on the right track. More please.
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We The Kings are a band from Florida that knock out those three minute pop-punk songs that sadly brings back a horrible memory of Busted and McFly's evil strangle hold over Great Britain a couple of years ago.

If you could cross Biffy Clyro (again) and Scouting For Girls then you'd probably end up with something like this track. Although, Electric Banana staff are struggling to think of a reason why anyone would want a Scouting For Biffy act. You might. We don't.
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Ke$ha is a cross between the worst elements of Lady GaGa, Pink, and one those drunk girls you see leaving a club with toilet roll stuck to their shoe. Basically, she likes to try and shock us! Err...you remember that story about her pissing in a sink in front of Lily Allen? Nice. No wonder poor Lily has since retired from music.

Anyway, this song attempts to recreate the same electro party vibe as her single TiK ToK. FAIL! Too cheesy. Sure, we support the idea of a potshot at chauvinistic males, but the song's lyrics unfortunately sound like they were written by a slapper with learning difficulties.
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