Song reviews

“Special Place in Hell” has the trendy retro vibe of the time when the mall was the place to be yet Suzi Moon injects enough modern hard edged cynicism to move her guitar powered song through time into today.

Robust in the way that songs of the big city usually are, “Kill Me Sweetie” resonates through those very streets with the female vocals, guitar riffs and pounding drums proving that Shadow Monster can run any traffic light they might encounter.

If you seek the comfort of the conventional then “If I Leave” by Canada’s Stefani Parnell will provide you with that which you seek. The song is a ballad and is moves neatly and sweetly from start to finish. One for the radio.

Kandle takes a confident walk down sentimental street with “Misty Morning”. Piano led and pleasingly free of modern day cynicism, this is the kind of song that is makes directly for the heart. Old fashioned perhaps but worthy nonetheless.

Some songs just sound like they were born to live in the shadows and “The Devil (Lives In My Flat)” is such a song with Polar Klub idolising all the many facets of retro lo-fi reverb in his search for the perfect dystopian atmosphere.

Endearingly energetic, Deva St. John whips up a rock fuelled sonic snack called “Preacher” and sets out to make the world a better place in just over three minutes. It’s valid thing to do and she has no trouble making it happen. Riff me right now.

It’s finger on the pulse time with “Never Leave The Basement” demonstrating that Nadia Vaeh both knows her way to the mall and the less than spiritually invigorating way back home. Pop music can be smart and this is the evidence.

Perhaps something of a stylistic throwback to simpler times, DuncanC goes all homebrew minimal and acoustic with “The Sceptic” while still putting enough substance into his lyrics to make the song worthy of a listen.

Swathed in synthesisers as usual, the ever wistful Secret Treehouse walk down their retro garden path at a leisurely pace and duly give their song “Truly Free” the sonic seasoning of the serious. Into the valley we go.

Anarchy has had its day, or so they say, and maybe Gunke know that with their song “Football” nearly drowning in its own laconicism whilst transcoding the mundane into chants and guitar fundamentalism.

Clearly in love with the jangly guitar sound of the good old days, Karma Surround walks his song “Stars of the Last Magnitude” down the path of golden era pop songs and, whilst always lo-fi and rather untidy, he gets where he is going.

The dance floor is clearly a big part of the Wake Island oeuvre and “Nouvelle Vague” duly inherits the hypnotic qualities that are part and parcel of the more stylish parts of the club scene. This song is cool enough for its intended audience.