Music

Blog

“ The Sound ”

Digital Spy's music blog has the latest midweek chart updates plus news, videos and more.

Westlife's new single 'Lighthouse': First listen

Published Monday, Oct 3 2011, 18:59 BST | By Robert Copsey | 110 comments

Recommend 7k

Tweet 97

Earlier today, your trusty Digital Spy music scribes were played the new Westlife single, 'Lighthouse', in full, three times over, and at a perfectly respectable volume.

So, how does the band's 31st single shape up? Here's what we jotted down.

First things first, it was penned by Gary Barlow, produced by John Shanks (Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi) and clocks in at 3 minutes and 57 seconds.

The song is about how their partners have stuck by them through the difficult times and now they want to settle down with them for good.

It's probably the most grown-up sounding single Westlife have ever released.

"This kind of love is more than a lifeline/ For a man as weak as me," Shane Filan admits on the openings bars over a soul-funk piano riff, before asking: "How did the sea get so rough?/ I would have drowned/ If you hadn't given me your love."

Lyrics to the chorus include: "You're the light in the dark/ You're the seat in the park/ You're the lighthouse that I need."

The song's highlight is easily the middle eight around the 2:55 mark, where a slew of thrashing drums clash together as they sing: "I owe it all to you/ Everything I have right now."

Despite being their first release away from Syco, it would soundtrack a tearful X Factor moment rather nicely.

Better yet, listen to a 90-second clip of the track and judge for yourselves below:

What do you think of Westlife's 'Lighthouse'? Leave your comments in the box below: