Song reviews

Keeping it conventional, on the surface at least, are Glasgow band The Burnt Bridges. Their song “The Best Christmas Yet” even has a children’s choir and yet Mark O’Neil’s robust voice injects a curiously downbeat note that suggests that reality will never reach the heights of the big saccharine finish that takes this song out into the snow.

Endearingly anarchic as always, the Aquadolls turn the volume right up this time and buzz, fuzz and scuzz their way through “Girl Riot” with Melissa Brooks going large yet ironic on the post-feminist attitude out front. It’s there for all to see and see you should for garage rock belongs to girls these days and that’s a fact.

“Church Is Burning Down” might well be seen by some as old fashioned drawing, as it does, on seventies funk and socially conscious lyrics but the times they haven’t really changed at all so Tomás Doncker puts this song right into the back of the net. He’s the real deal and I don’t get to say that too often these days.

Heading straight down that highway to Nashville is Heidi Merrill. No surprises therefore that her song “Cornhusker Strong” draws on such downhome values as hard work and divine guidance but the saving grace is the spirit evident in her voice.

Now this is more like it. Infused with an intoxicating mix of petulance and anguish, Chrystyna Marie tells it like it and thus leads her song “Loaded Gun” out of Lana Del Rey’s house and abandons it on the highway that is life. Let it be so.

Distinctly robust for a female fronted band from sunny California, Mleo hits all the right alt-rock chords with their song “Ridiculous” whilst displaying enough song writing maturity to bring forth comparisons with such melodic predecessors as The Hush Sound. Pleasing to the ear indeed.

Two up and well advanced on their journey along the yellow brick road to soft rock nirvana, The ROAMies pay the extra dollar and go large with their ballad “Still The One”. If it’s good enough for FM radio then it’s good enough for me.

I’m not quite sure what to make of Baxnug given that he is the inventor of the kangaroo’s tail for human beings but, as the hard rock world is a world full of crazies anyway, his song “Counterattack!” gets a pass mark no matter whether it is the riff powered real deal (after all it could be) or an affectionate parody.

A chip of the old alt-rock block, Service of a Villain apply their downhome musical skills to “Fallen” and, with the potential for experimentation put to the side, the song is dragged forward by the sheer insistence of Jonny Cotton’s voice.

An energetic indie rock band, Indytronics press all the right genre buttons throughout their song “Clone Fight” and, with youth on their side, they accelerate straight up the middle of the road.

Hagar Levy has the kind of voice that would sell a folk song but she nonetheless keeps it intense and urban throughout her song “Hectic” and, with a willing electric guitar keeping her company, she does not miss the opportunity to go large.

Indie rock meets the arthouse as Seawitches mix up reverb and drama and bake their song “Fatheads” in a hot oven for 4 and a half minutes. Jo Herring sprinkles the song with the all the angst and anguish that her voice can muster and that is enough to make any Echo and Bunnymen fan go all sentimental.