Say Yes –  Claudia Norris (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

I guess we have Meghan Trainor to thank/blame for the idea that doo-wop ukulele has a place in modern pop music. But whereas Trainor has always made a pretty unconvincing figure as a pop star, Claudia Norris seems to posses slightly more sass than the High School Musical extra vibe that the former seems to ooze. She will probably even convince you that the pop-uke is not the gimmick that it first seems to be.

Say Yes is unashamedly pop and thankfully whilst the uke remains front and centre throughout it is gradually swathed in more expected pop trappings – beats build, synths wash, harmonies grow and the song develops into a fully rounded slice of youthful, sugar high, Day-Glo pop. It helps that the song is well-rounded and cleverly textured, growing an extra musical layer every thirty seconds or so, keeping the interest and evolving the song. And that is the art of such things really. The ukelele may seem like a bit of a clever musical prop, something to pique journalistic interest or a funny talking point but here it is just one part of a well thought out pop song.