27. BACKSTREET BOYS – Shape Of My Heart
As he steps out of the shower and starts to pat down his wet hair Alan finds himself humming a song he can’t quite place. It’s something he heard on the radio, quite serious and tuneful, but the name slips from his mind as he ties the hair back and pulls on his slate Joe Bloggs shirt, and by the time he’s out the door the song is gone too.
He’s in the Rat and Parrot: as usual he goes to the jukebox. They’ve got “Yellow”, his favourite single this year, and some old Van Morrison and Stones tunes, and Louise would like it if he put some Robbie on, and the fucking machine’s gone wrong again, that’s only six songs. Everyone agrees those machines are dodgy, and the records play, and Lou laughs and punches Alan on the arm when “Kids” comes on, just like she used to when they were, you know, ‘together’. Another song comes on, with christmas-cake production and a young voice straining for heatbreak. “What’s this?” asks Lou and nobody knows, though something about it rubs itself against the walls of Alan’s head. “It’s the fucking Backdoor Boys! The Backdoor Boys!” yells Steve, and Lou asks “Alan, is this one of yours?” and Alan says “No way. God no, it’s not one of mine.”
(Original review here)