Singles

Mark Ronson - Just

Richard Braddock 13/02/2008

Rating: 4/5

I don't think anybody would argue that Mark Ronson hasn't had the midas touch for the last year. Literally everything the man touches appears to turn to gold.

Originally released almost 2 years ago, “Just” is the perfect example of what kudos and word of mouth will buy you in the record industry. Back then, despite airplay, it peaked at a lowly 48 in the UK charts. Today previous single “Valerie” still lingers at number 24, an astonishing 30 weeks after release while the album “Version” rose 3 places this week to hit number 23, after a staggering 35 weeks on the chart.

I'll stop before I begin to sound like Mark Goodyear. Still, the numbers certainly prove a point and despite not teaming up with as high a profile artist as Amy Winehouse, the silky smooth “Just” will certainly garner Ronson yet more adulation in the pop world.

This time Ronson hooks up with Alex Greenwald aka lead singer of Phantom Planet aka “The band that performed the theme tune to popular U.S show “The OC” to cover Radiohead track “Just”. However, perhaps the most exciting influence in the entire track are “The Dap Kings” who once again provide the musical backbone.

The song is rich in percussion and certainly shows off his penchant for brass, while maintaining the trademark guitar-play of past tracks. The only disappointment is that the radio edit cuts off a minute and a half of this delight, which is disappointing to say the least.

Indeed, one could even argue that it's a sad indictment on the mainstream pop charts that the public apparently won't accept a track over four minutes long, with brilliantly arranged jazz undertones, and occasional breaks in the lyrical content. Are our attention spans really that short, or are we being underestimated?

Release Date: 03/03/08