HOLLY JOHNSON: Blast — The Video (MCA, £12.99)
HOLLY JOHNSON has always wanted to be a cartoon star, and on this collection of clips from last year’s ‘Blast’ album his wish is granted. All but one of the five vids boast day-glo toy shop scenery across which Holly does his funny frog-dancing in a vaguely menacing fashion, yodelling his little heart out and grinning cheekily.
’Love Train’ finds us in Noddy territory, a slab of beefy disco-pop with Holly playing The Riddler and delivering some of the most blatant sexual innuendo to top the charts since Frankie Goes To Hollywood. With a straight face too.
’Heaven’s Here’ aims to be the sophisticated slowie, scraping through on a combination of sepia-tinted monochrome shots of snogging couples and a spine-tingling chorus. But best of all is ‘Americanos’, Holly perfectly at home as a camp game show host in John Waters-style ‘50s America, redistributing wealth against a soundtrack of galloping Latin beats and glossily ironic lyrics.
Stompingly attractive plastic pop which just slightly outstays its welcome. Stoke it up.
Stephen Dalton