Meet Mika. He's a 23 year old Beirut-born, former Parisian/Londoner who is now based in New York, and he is, apparently, the latest 'pop sensation' to hit the airwaves. If that phrase sounds eerily familiar, it's because it probably is: Daniel Bedingfield, anyone? Craig David? Aha, but, the difference with Mika, y'see, is that neither of the aforementioned 'artistes' have been touted as the 'New Freddie Mercury'. A mountainous comparison to lay on any young soul's shoulders, perhaps; but it's easy to see where the connection lies. Not only does Mika possess the same soaring, operatic vocals as the former Queen frontman, he's got a canny way with a pop song to boot. See the flouncy, pompous funk of Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) - all snappy beats, silly lyrics and sizzling melodies - or the dramatic-yet-infinitely-hummable Billy Brown, replete with happy-go-lucky harmonies that carry a tale of a confused bisexual man. Besides, who can't have heard the ubiquitous huge single Grace Kelly, a glossy compound of Queen pomposity and George Michael funk? Aside from the musical whimsy on offer, there's a more serious (i.e. crap) side to Life in Cartoon Motion, too; My Interpretation and Any Other World are both crap cheesy piano ballads, the latter even roping in a children's choir, while Happy Ending is a truly awful dirge of a duet, this time, employing the service of a gospel collective. Relax (Take It Easy), however, is a genuinely funky, Erasure-referencing 80s dance anthem, with production slicker than Scissor Sisters on an oil rig, and epitomises the lithe, fun side of the youngster's canon. While most tracks here have the potential to become the equivalent to The Birdy Song in fifty years time - not to mention being firmly aimed at the girly/gay sector of the music-buying public - even the most stony-faced cynic would be hard-pressed to admit that they're just too damned catchy to ignore. Extra cheese with that order, please.
