Various Artists

The latest (now annual :-( ) edition of Radio 1's Live Lounge maintains the quality set by previous editions. Always one to cause great debate, the cover versions are where the strength really lies here. Do they work, well beauty is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder!!

Rita Ora does a great take on Goyte, as does Ben Howard on Carly Rae Jepson's 'Call Me Maybe' These are the strengths - re-worked, alternative versions of tracks. Tulisa does 'Titanium' - all very good, but she is too close to Sia so loses the uniqueness.

Conor Maynard and Scouting For Girls turn 'Starships' and 'Wings' upside respectively, in a good way. Conor strips it back whereas SFG's add a whole load of guitars. Kasabian do a good job of Lana del Ray’s 'Video Games', whilst surprise track must be The Vaccines doing Taylor Swift!! It sounds great as well.
Dappy goes old skool with Queen, whilst Professor Green does Adele’s ‘Hometown Glory’ to great effect.

All in all a great edition, but as mentioned at the start do we really have await a year for each one?



CD 1
1. RITA ORA: 'SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW' (ORIGINALLY BY GOTYE FEAT. KIMBRA)
2. EMELI SANDÉ: 'NEXT TO ME'
3. FUN.: 'WE ARE YOUNG'
4. BEN HOWARD: 'CALL ME MAYBE' (ORIGINALLY BY CARLY RAE JEPSEN)
5. JESSIE J: 'DOMINO'
6. TULISA: 'TITANIUM' (ORIGINALLY BY DAVID GUETTA FEAT. SIA)
7. PALOMA FAITH: 'FEEL THE LOVE' (ORIGINALLY BY RUDIMENTAL FEAT. JOHN NEWMAN)
8. ALEX CLARE: 'TOO CLOSE'
9. CONOR MAYNARD: 'STARSHIPS' (ORIGINALLY BY NICKI MINAJ)
10. PLAN B: 'CALL MY NAME' (ORIGINALLY BY CHERYL)
11. LANA DEL REY: 'BLUE JEANS'
12. SCOUTING FOR GIRLS: 'WINGS' (ORIGINALLY BY LITTLE MIX)
13. JLS: 'EARTHQUAKE' / 'DO IT LIKE A DUDE' (ORIGINALLY BY LABRINTH FEAT. TINIE TEMPAH / JESSIE J)
14. DELILAH: 'R.I.P.' (ORIGINALLY BY RITA ORA FEAT. TINIE TEMPAH)
15. STOOSHE: 'ONLY LOVE' / 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN' (ORIGINALLY BY BEN HOWARD / RIHANNA)
16. OLLY MURS: 'WITHOUT YOU' (ORIGINALLY BY DAVID GUETTA FEAT. USHER)
17. PIXIE LOTT: 'DEDICATION TO MY EX (MISS THAT)' (ORIGINALLY BY LLOYD FEAT. ANDRE 3000 & LIL WAYNE)
18. USHER: 'PUMPED UP KICKS' (ORIGINALLY BY FOSTER THE PEOPLE)

CD 2
1. MUMFORD & SONS: 'I WILL WAIT'
2. KASABIAN: 'VIDEO GAME' (ORIGINALLY BY LANA DEL REY)
3. ED SHEERAN / DEVLIN / LABRINTH: 'NO CHURCH IN THE WILD' (ORIGINALLY BY JAY Z & KANYE WEST)
4. THE VACCINES: 'WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER' (ORIGINALLY BY TAYLOR SWIFT)
5. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: 'TAKE CARE' (ORIGINALLY BY DRAKE FEAT. RIHANNA)
6. MAVERICK SABRE: 'BEAUTIFUL GIRLS' / 'STAND BY ME' (ORIGINALLY BY SEAN KINGSTON / BEN E. KING)
7. LABRINTH: 'BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE' (ORIGINALLY BY CHRIS BROWN FEAT. BENNY BENASSI)
8. EXAMPLE: 'WE FOUND LOVE' (ORIGINALLY BY RIHANNA FEAT. CALVIN HARRIS)
9. FOSTER THE PEOPLE: 'MACHU PICCHU' (ORIGINALLY BY THE STROKES)
10. DAPPY & BRIAN MAY: 'WE WILL ROCK YOU' (ORIGINALLY BY QUEEN)
11. BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB: 'LIGHTS OUT, WORDS GONE'
12. THE MACCABEES: 'LONELY BOY' (ORIGINALLY BY THE BLACK KEYS)
13. JAMES MORRISON: 'WON'T LET YOU GO'
14. LOICK ESSIEN: 'LEGO HOUSE' (ORIGINALLY BY ED SHEERAN)
15. TWIN ATLANTIC: 'WHO YOU ARE' (ORIGINALLY BY JESSIE J)
16. MICHAEL KIWANUKA: 'I'M GETTING READY'
17. MODESTEP: 'TO THE STARS'
18. ARCTIC MONKEYS: 'ON A MISSION' (ORIGINALLY BY KATY B)
19. PROFESSOR GREEN: 'HOMETOWN GLORY' (ORIGINALLY BY ADELE)