After setting their guitars on maximum grunge, Polish shoegaze band March Dove crank up the drama and, with the addition of some wistful female vocals as the counterpoint, duly make their song “Skyfalling” seem almost mystical.
Pleasingly upbeat pop from Italy that is duly delivered with a degree of style that you just don’t get up here in the cold, “Tempo” also has some timely lyrics and an infectious melody in its favour. Gionathan makes the sunshine brighter.
You can feel the deeper purpose in “Ointment” with HalfCutLemon adding sweet theatrical moves and a symphonic sweep to their post punk angularity. With their guitars set to maximum, this band sound like they mean what they sing.
Lorraine-Deitrich clearly walk on the stylish side of the rock street and their song “Everybody Wants Some Love” throws in some angular post punk moves to further distinguish them from the crowd. Sounds good to me.
Looped like a dancefloor diva, Camilla Sparksss stylishly emotes her way through “Stormseeker” to demonstrate that the art is strong within her whilst that foot stomping beat keeps the retro fans on her side.
Guitars drive “Knockout” on down the road as if it were a nineties power pop song and Hannah Duckworth does her vocal bit to energetically and confidently take you on a nihilistic trip down to the mall once more.
“Roadkill” is as lively as you would expect from a Belgian punk band and Captain Kaiser have taken a distinctly theatrical approach to entertaining your ears. The song is more power pop than hardcore punk yet it remains three minutes well spent.
“The Maiden Stone” is a thoroughly intellectual song with the complex arrangement making the most of Ross Whyte’s traditional Scottish musical influences and Terra Spencer adding the vocal charm. Bonnie, it is.
It must be the sunshine as you can’t cross a road these days without bumping into a new pop princess. Linds Sais breaks out an ornate arrangement for her song “Golden Hour” and duly starts her accession to the commercial throne.
The singer songwriter vibe is strong in Hannah DeLynn’s song “For The Record” and, with heartfelt sentiments and a polished production behind her, she has little trouble crossing the border into the land of commercial balladry.
Izabella Lily adds a healthy dose of maturity to the lyrics of her song “Freedom” and delivers them in a way that reinforces the earnestness of her conviction. The world needs more songs like this. It really does.
Classically styled with underlying religious inspiration, “Fac Me Cruce” successfully combines ambient electronica with the rather regal soprano voice of Sandra Lind Þorsteinsdóttir to elegant and uplifting effect. Electrio are a class act.
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