Song reviews

Super Schurken sound very much like a band in love with the mellow blues rock sound of the late seventies and their song “Tomorrow” duly, and sentimentally, evokes memories of better times and summer sunsets.

“Prête à Tout” is a classy combination of voice and acoustic guitar that is as cool as a song that draws on chanson for inspiration can be. That is cool indeed and Marie Minet, being French, hits all the right notes once again.

Something of a throwback to the analogue loops of the eighties dancefloor. “Follow The Money” follows the samples and simple soundbites style of that time with Rettward von Doernberg adding words relevant to these times of capitalist crimes.

“Honeymoon Suite” is a nicely polished pop song that has enough in the way of retro influences to enliven the lyrics that are certainly of today. If there were still such a thing as mall girls, Lala Hayden would be their head cheerleader.

No doubt about it, Erik Flaa does songs designed for the zeitgeist of those people who remember when everything wasn’t as bleak as today. Melody and lyrical literacy get his message across successfully.

The sheer purity and delicacy of Susanne Darre and her piano is counterposed with the ambient styled distortions of Stegonaute to give “Tidevann” a valid escape route from your ears into wherever you might wish to wander.

Kisanii gives the kind of mannered performance that suggests time well spent in musical education and “My Internal Enemy” duly carries her message more than half the way to big ballad territory.

“This Town” is about as commercial a song as you will hear these days right down to the festival friendly, waving your iPhone in the air, chorus yet NATI still manages to sound like she is just the girl next door who is going to get lucky.

Tears fall” is the kind of song that should be held high as a shining example of what can be done when style is mixed into the usually bleak darkwave melting pot and Denuit duly stalk those shadows with dramatic intent.

Australian Holly Hebe has all the hallmarks of a pop princess in the making and her song “Bitterness” should resonate nicely with an audience looking for something less plastic than her mainstream competitors.

“Join The Dots” is jaunty indie pop just like it used to be back in the days when wry lyrics were where it was at and Pat’s Alternative Bus Tour duly make you feel like you are listening to the soundtrack to a Bill Forsyth movie. Sweet.

There’s a decent level of emotional intensity to be found in “We Speak We Bleed” and Eie have rather more authentic content than is usual for a rock band these days. This is, at last, a rock song that can be enjoyed at less than maximum volume.