In which McFly learn that Lady Gaga works...

McFly have a new single and album out soon (September and November, respectively). Said single is Party Girl which sounds something (i.e. exactly) like this.



First off, you can tell that Dallas Austin has been involved in all of this. While the oh-oh-ooooooh bits are heavily reminiscent of Gaga, there are real similarities to be had here with Pink's most recent output, particularly with So What (listen, for example, to the 50s-1:07 for that stuttering backing track effect which appears to be on all of Austin's acts since he picked up a copy of Kanye West's Flashing Lights). Certainly, the decision to go with a new producer has caused McFly to completely reinvent their sound. This is certainly a world away from Lies and yet very much appears to be heading in a similar direction with the over-the-top underpinning concept behind the album's marketing with them creating some kind of virtual Second-Life-esque world for fans to "interact" and get access to "exclusive content". It's easy to forget amidst all of this that, when it's all said and done, we're dealing with a new McFly song.

Certainly it feels like every type of in-vogue effect has been thrown at this to try and make it relevant, with the band wisely sensing that their earlier guitar-led pop is becoming increasingly dated and unlikely to penetrate the endless streams of RnB/Hip Hop acts which appear to have camped out in the top 10 at present. Rather, with Party Girl, they've gone all out to create a true blue pop song. And whilst it's not entirely convincing (you get the impression that JLS would be happier with this than McFly) we can't deny that it's a very successful change of direction. Yes, the lads are probably desperate to retreat behind a guitar and drumkit as soon as possible but the one constant in McFly's delivery is that they've always managed to have excellent, wel-arranged and well-harmonized vocals. What they and Dallas Austin have done is to extract that quality, give it a dose of ritalin, and send it into a recording studio and let the hyperactive madness play out. That's probably why he's one of the best in the business.

McFly's new single isn't so much a return to form as it is a complete reinvention. And, to give the boys credit, it's a very, very good one.

And that's something we'd never thought we'd be saying.