Don’t forget there’s a new podcast up, and it’s just one post down!

Meanwhile, let’s catch up on last week’s chart.  In fact, it’s another relatively quiet week, so this probably won’t take us all that long.

1.  Florence + The Machine – “Spectrum”

Florence + The Machine is basically singer-songwriter Florence Welch and whoever she’s collaborating with at the time (though originally “The Machine” was keyboard player Isabella Summers, who co-writes some of the songs).

This track comes from last year’s album “Ceremonials”, and it’s a case of Welch’s pop-epic tendencies firing on all cylinders.  The “John Byrne” credited in the video, by the way, is a choreographer, and not the grumpy Canadian with whom readers of this blog may be more familiar.

The reason why the single is suddenly at number 1, though, is because of a remix by Calvin Harris which is being promoted to radio for the single version.  It sounds precisely the way you’d expect.  That version doesn’t have a proper video, but it does get a lyric version.  Radio 1 are giving him co-billing on the chart, but the Official Chart Company seem to be sticking with the view that this is a Florence + The Machine record (presumably on the logic that all versions of the song count towards this chart placing).

This is Welch’s seventh hit and her first number one.  Previously, her biggest hit was “You Got The Dirtee Love”, a mash-up collaboration with Dizzee Rascal performed at the Brit Awards, which made number 2 at the start of 2010.  To be honest, that record is more Dizzee rapping over Welch’s version of “You Got The Love”, which was her second biggest hit – number 5 in 2009.

The midweeks have this staying at the top for a second week, admittedly without it having to face much in the way of challenge.

17.  Adam Lambert – “Never Close Our Eyes”

Oh, we’re having another go with this guy, are we?  Lambert was the runner-up in 2009’s American Idol, and as is the way of these shows, he’s rather overshadowed that year’s winner, one Kris Allen.  (So far as I can see, no serious attempts were ever made to promote Allen in Britain.)

Lambert has charted once before, when “For Your Entertainment” made number 37 in 2010.  He’s now finally promoting a second album.  The video depicts a nightmarish future in which it is difficult to obtain quality make-up. It’s not a bad single, but I can’t shake the feeling this is a soft rock song that’s had a modern arrangement bolted onto it.

His album “Trespassing” enters at number 16 over on the album charts this week.  Neither the album nor the single are anywhere to be seen in the midweeks, so for the moment it looks as though he’s only got a foothold in the UK market.

21.  David Guetta (ft Chris Brown & Lil Wayne) – “I Can Only Imagine”

The sixth single from Guetta’s current album.  Pretty much instantly forgettable.

37.  The Vaccines – “No Hope”

Perkier than the title might lead you to expect.  This is the lead single from the Vaccines’ second album, and a relatively rare case of indie guitar pop making the top 40 these days.  It’s their third hit, none of which have made it into the top 30 – but their debut album, “What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?”, did make the top 5 on the album chart.  They’re plainly a throwback act, but they stand up pretty well to comparison with their influences.