Song reviews

One for my baby and one for the road. That’s an old saying and yet it seemed appropriate to Portuguese blues rock purveyor Vítor Bacalhau and his song “Burn me Slow” as he duly takes it to the bridge with the funk right by his side.

I would describe this song as offbeat if not quirky, That’s no bad thing in my book as the Em Spel way is to keep her song “Bird or Snake” on the track whilst stopping at every station on the arty branch of the indie folk line. Time to buy a ticket for her train.

Clearly Gitika Partington has maturity on her side as her song “Going Round In Circles” loops the sensitive singer songwriter groove around some introspective lyrics whilst always making her intent clear. Some hearts might resonate to this one.

Some songs sound like they should be classed as weapons and “Glitter” by Naked Lungs is one of them. Insistent to the point of sonic assault, this song deserves to be played at extreme volume and then played again. And again.

Erase Control have chosen the retro road and their song “Light Was Off” successfully evokes those shadowy days of early post punk. No idea what the song is about but it sounds like it should be one for the cool kids everywhere.

Wojtek The Bear seems to be an eminently polite band and “French Blue” duly dances with the scarf of introspection caught in the breeze from their musical eloquence. If a song could be a tea biscuit then this would be it.

Much in the way of reverb and melancholy can be found in the words and music that make up “Golden” and, even when Georgia Reed picks up the pace, it is still evident that the road to redemption has few streetlamps.

The art is strong in “Membrane” with Hannah Schneider making all the right mature musical moves to make her song less a mere soundtrack cue and more a part of some greater artistic melancholy.

I didn’t think that anyone would remember Patsy Kensit these days yet Lemon Drink reference both her and designer handbags in this indie pop poke at consumerism and modern manners but they’ve got guitars and that’s all that really matters.

I suspect that Middle Class Guilt are the kind of band that weave irony into their chords and their song “Edinburgh” duly resonates with angularity and anguish. I will also wager that they have actually read all the books you say you have.

Lots of guitars in this song with Electric Children successfully evoking a degree of old school psychedelic artistic intention. “Was It Worth It?” rambles on for four minutes but nonetheless manages to hold your ears on the same course as their song.

I like a bit of tempo shifting in the morning and Ding Mao satisfied my appetite for music that shapeshifts and takes sharp, if theatrical, turns down the alleyway to somewhere that isn’t really anywhere. “More” indeed.