Song reviews

Ashley Jana’s heart is clearly in the right place and her song “The Love of Our Lovers” isn’t short of emotion with her precise voice neatly complementing the sequenced laconicism of the backing track. Plastic is the new black (in the right hands).

With pleasingly stylish duelling male-female vocals and ironic lyrics to the fore, Alphabetic make the most of their song “French Boyfriend” while the neato guitar adds the spirit that soon intoxicates. Some might see this song as retro but what isn’t these days?

“Shipwreck” demonstrates that Tetish, from Tel-Aviv, have what it takes to make the perfect indie pop song. Edgy guitars keep the song afloat but it is the retro reverential voice of Etan Salomon that is the icing on the cake.

A Canadian band bathed in the best of guitar powered grunge influences, Cedar Spring Motel turn the volume up to eleven to guarantee that their song “Waiting (For The Rain)” gains the necessary momentum to blow your eardrums. Drink some beer and the experience is nothing less than invigorating.

A desirably quirky song from the frontman of Woodenbox, “Start When It’s Over” sways smartly between the avant-garde and the polyester hell of lounge music and, whilst superficially sugary, the song is so full of musical fibre that it is actually good for you. Trust me (and the trumpet) on that fact.

A thoughtful pop song from this Manchester outfit, “Keep The Light In” could well be the song to nudge the intelligentsia towards worship of The Blackheart Orchestra and Chrissy Mostyn has the voice to add arthouse points to the song’s final score.

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.