Song reviews

Kummipojat demonstrate a very respectable amount of energy in the execution of “Kalervo Palsa” with vocals that throw caution to the wind and enough in the way of post punk influences to add a distinct edge to the song.

Pleasantly sung, “Secret Medicine” is just the kind of song that would fit right into the end credits of a commercial television series. Silva Emilia plays it safe with this song but makes it work anyway.

Some songs just seem designed to be described as insistent and “Drink The First Light” is one such song. As polished as Adam Ross has become, he still knows how to put a song into drive and aim it straight at the dawn.

There’s a song hiding somewhere in “Do It For Me” by Pink Stiletto but, when it comes down to it, we are all prisoners of the dancefloor so there will be no escape for us from those floor filling beats and over lacquered vocals.

Whilst Mathilde Widding is from Norway, she sounds like she should be from somewhere much warmer as her song “Good Grief” resonates with the sound of the soul music of the noughties. Confident vocals keep the song on track.

Emoting her way through the shadows is HAIVE and her song “Bathtub” loops its way through a pond of emotional intensity with the winds of yesterday eventually taking things out on to the dancefloor. One for the cool kids methinks.

Usually a band with power on permanent supply,” Living in Slow Motion” is instead a rather restrained and serious song that shows that Glasgow’s Red Lite District can engage a reflective gear when they have to.

That retro synth pop sound powers “My Life’s Solid” and Swiss band Lone Assembly do a decent job of replaying the broody and bleak sound of yesterday with the male vocals adding a much needed dose of drama to the mix.

Dani Ivory has the commercial touch and her song “Hope” manages to hook your ears whilst still evoking that classy singer songwriter vibe of the better days of the seventies and I might even call this song uplifting. I just might.

“Blow by Blow” has a suspiciously familiar bassline but, then again, Mackenzies have been about for a long time so that might even be expected. The song is topped off with eighties style post punk angularity so your feet will most likely move.

I suppose that “Kylie’s Put A Curse On Us” could best be described as whimsically Scottish because Wojtek The Bear are Scottish and the lyrics are nothing if not whimsical. OK, whimsically Scottish, it is.

Bathing themselves in Goth goodness are Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos with their song “Witches” duly exuding synthesiser loops and post-midnight depravity. It’s a style thing and they will always wear black.