‘Price Tag’ is a song that is definitely surfing the airwaves right now. To date, Jessie J has almost 42 million youtube hits on her video for the single, the song constantly being played on nearly every radio station across the world and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be slowing down any time soon. So, in a nutshell, it’s big! Various artists have covered the song since it’s release in many different genres ranging from Reggae and Pop, to Acoustic and Rock, and I have no doubt that there are more covers being worked on as you read this review.MaLoKai are a british Pop-Punk band who have decided to get in on the action and are the latest to release their own version of the hit single (April 12th). Their music is generally a mixture Pop-Punk with a bit of Alternative and Hardcore dropped in - the occasional breakdown, gang vocal or scream. ‘Price Tag’ however, leans more on the Pop side of it all. Being a pop song, I suppose this is what you’d expect, naturally. That said, don’t think that it’s a soft and easy ride from beginning to end! In fact, the track is packed with energy from the word go. The Pop-Punk riffs, fast paced drums and driving bass lines happen to lay a fairly comfortable bed for a slightly whiney, but in tune vocal performance that demands attention throughout.
The rap, performed by B.o.B in the original has actually been kept, but has more of a nu-metal feel to it, and is backed by an epic string arrangement which compliments the heavier riffs in this part of the song. MaLoKai used the song simply to fill out a set one week, but the response was so good that they decided to release it after requests from fans. The track which has a heavy, yet polished feel, was produced and mixed by the band's lead singer - Alex Greig. The band have quite an American sound, which isn’t too typical on the scene here in the UK, and it’s clear that they are not afraid to pump up the volume. All in all, it’s a good fun listen, and it could well be the start of what could be a promising future for the young band.
