Listening Project: March and April

I started a pointless project to listen to every UK No. 1 Hit of the past 15 years, of which this is the second part. It's somewhat delayed on account of going overseas for a while and not having time to faff about with this.

I have a few tracks left from 2000, and also 2001 and 2002 to cover. No pressure.

The February playlist remnants

• Texas - The Greatest Hits
• U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
• Westlife - Coast to Coast
• The Beatles - 1

The March playlist

• Eva Cassidy - Songbird
• Hear'Say - Popstars

There should've been loads more, but meh, I've been busy. April didn't even get a look in. This is a complete, hilarious failure.

Opining

Texas - The Greatest hits has a catchy opening and keeps on fairly strong. I like the vocalist's tone and the instrumental parts seem a bit more interesting that some. Summer Son I already know and like. The album's fairly consistent, and I enjoyed this enough I can see myself wanting to buy it.

U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind is another strong performer. I admit that it's not left any specific memory with me (I was writing...) but the impressions it left were definitely favourable.

Westlife - Coast to Coast is somewhat cheesy at times, but I quite enjoyed it. There's something I find very compelling about this particular type of rhythm and melody; whether it's just because that was what was around in the days when I occasionally went to parties and danced, or there's something inherently rousing about it, I'm not sure.

The Beatles - 1 inevitably contains nothing I, a Scouser, am not intimately familiar with.

Eva Cassidy - Songbird I'm ambivalent about. On the one hand it has some very good songs (I've always liked Fields of Gold although I'm more familiar with the Sting version), but I find her singing style somewhat intrusive - it's the occasional odd durations and bursts of sudden loudness. This means it's not entirely suited to having on restfully in the background.

Hear'Say - Popstars is what I can only call completely disposable pop. Inoffensive, bland, generic, the kind of thing they used to play on the radio when I worked in the factory. Nothing about it particularly attracts attention and I wouldn't make any effort to listen to it. Also, fake American accents, ugh.