Song reviews

Super cool and smooth the point of being suave, Silva and Steini’s cover of “I Ought To Stay Away From You” is almost all the modern jazz is supposed to be even if they get a bit playful towards the end of the song. Be cool.

A one man blues band, the splendidly named Jungle Jim Smith throws in enough alcohol references to remind you why it is called twelve bar blues. “Death and Whiskey” might be old school but we can all learn from it.

The title says it all. The Twistettes unleash a brutal and minimalist sonic assault on the senses which is most definitely not a celebration of the titular, and thoroughly privileged, pond life. “Tory Cunts” is right enough.

An oddly lumpy foray into guitar fuelled grunge, “Get Me To The Dentist” doesn’t really go anywhere as a song yet Kibby manages to prove some sort of tempo shifting point in less than three minutes. Gets better with volume.

Sounding polished and professional is Flo Wilkes and her song “Rewritten” plays out with a mellow, middle of the road singer songwriter vibe. The decent lyrics and the guitar solo add enough sparkle to increase the song’s airplay potential.

You can’t go far wrong with a song by Schubert and Dreya Starr duly updates “Ave Maria” with loops and a rapper in the middle whilst still keeping the spiritual intent. No doubting her voice though as that is altogether exquisite.

Practically a lesson in arthouse musical hypnotism, “Velvet Flickering Heart” convincingly illustrates that Francesca Bono has the ability to meander whilst simultaneously staying locked to the loop. It’s a spiritual four minute song.

I’m not sure who the intended audience for a song like “Dancing In The Afterglow” might be, but if we were back in the heyday of mass entertainment television, then Bauhofer’s uplifting lyrics and sentimental intent would be on every Saturday night special.

Icelandic post punk with arthouse stylistic intentions, GRÓA are the kind of band that exploits rambling rhythms, sharp angles and oddly discontinuous lyrics to hypnotic effect. “Cranberry” has all those things.

An ode to the privileged pond life who have made Westminster their second - or third – home, Cause of Accident use some punk powered musical larceny and a kazoo (!) to get the anger into “Opinions”. This song also has the best last line of any song ever.

Biche demonstrate, in the best European alt-rock way, that musical complexity can co-exist with solid, verging on robotic, beats and there is a swooping literacy elegance to “Déja-Vu” even if it loops on a bit. Interesting and most definitely French.

Chiara Berardelli has always done a nice line in songs that have a substantial degree of sensitive self-reflection in their lyrics and “Can I Be Me?” is no exception. You can’t pull off such a thing without musical maturity and she certainly has that.