Song reviews

Decidedly playful, Tangerine demonstrate that the sun shines in Seattle with their song “Sunset” and it is fair to say that their guitar based, sibling harmonised indie pop is getting to be habit with me. This is the kind of song that should be released on one of those round 45rpm things.

If I hadn’t read the press release – sometimes I do forget – I would perhaps have thought That Noise were from somewhere like Seattle rather than Iceland. Their song “Quiet” resonates with both elements of grunge and the melodic influences of late period Beatles which, as you might imagine, marks it out as a song borne of maturity.

Seemingly a revival of the disco ballad format, “Aurora” shows, at the very least, that VO5 are in love with the kind of harmonies that would have signified the end of a night on the glitter ball lit dancefloor back in the days of white suits. How deep is my love for this song? Deep deep.

They love their electro disco throughout Scandinavia and Finnish band Beverly girl gives us a classy addition to that catalogue of songs that will reliably get dancefloors from Moscow to Marbella moving. “Contagious” is the name of the song and, in the hours after midnight, you will consider it well named.

“We Are” more than adequately demonstrates that Ingrid Lukas is not the kind of performer to imprison herself within the walls of one musical genre and her song grows in scale and power as it moves further from its sequenced start with her voice neatly shifting gear to add the necessary theatrical seasoning.

You could say that “Another Day” is just another example of the midrange modern pop song but the truth is that Merrily James has added enough emotional intensity to remind you that still waters run deep.

Initially seeming serious enough to be the sons of eighties synth pop, “Sitting Pretty” makes the most of Iconique’s retro influences whilst actually being a considerably smarter song than you might reasonably expect of these melancholic servants of the sequencer.

Plaintive yet pleasing lo-fi rock from Esper Scout with “Gaps in the Border Fence” stepping steadily up the scale as the song progresses thus providing the kind of big finish that such a song should have. Big guitars, big future.

“International Waters” is an example of the kind of edgy guitar pop that seems prevalent in the big city these days with Zozo adding enough in the way of theatrical touches to make the song stand out in a manic, all the way back to the eighties, kind of way.

Surprisingly, this quirky and playful song comes from a Glasgow trio called Reptile House. In lyrical terms, “Meet Me At The River” echoes the established sentiments of country music yet is presented in a way that takes you all the way back to the sunshine days of folk rock.

“Real” is the kind of intelligent song of the heart that you would expect of someone like Grace Joyner. City girls might often write this kind of coffee shop song but few do it as well and that’s a fact.

Scandinavia does seem to be home of downbeat electropop these days and Denmark’s AyOwA do not disappoint with their stylish and, as you might expect, downbeat song “Sommer” with Hannah Schneider’s voice managing to intellectualise torment.