Song reviews

Taking post punk Didacticism back to its roots, Roxy Girls walk on the angular arthouse side of the street with their song “Spanners For Hand” being clearly armed with the edgy guitars and the sunglasses in daylight vocal posturing needed to make a point.

Pleasing alt-pop from The Sums with their song “Here To Say” strolling confidently between playful melodies and musical maturity in pursuit of the nirvana that is generally referred to as ear candy. Their influences are obvious yet the song works out rather well.

Taking her song boat named “Almond Milk” for a cruise on a sea of dramatic melancholy, Louise Lemón establishes, or rather reestablishes, herself as the siren of choice for broken hearts and emotional catharsis.

Girls. Guitars. Reverb. That’s about all you need to make my ears happy. Big smiles therefore for Desert Sharks as they crank it up and make some noise with their song “Sorceress”. I am now officially under their spell.

It is somewhat ironic for blues revivalists like ElectroBluesSociety to revive an Amy Whitehouse song yet they have chosen to do just that with “Back To Black” and guest vocalist Karin Roerdink uses her voice to keep the song on the straight and narrow.

Yes. It seems like there will always a place for some good time rock ‘n’ roll revivalism with Glasgow’s Awkward Family Portraits greasing back their quiff and taking their song “Ring Ring Angus” on an energetic time travelling trip back to the fifties.

Should you ever wonder what makes a pop song in the days immediately preceding Armageddon then look no further than “Listen Up” by Tawny K. The computer is carrying the freight yet there is still the mark of humanity to be found in the lyrics.

Although the band, like me, are clearly far too young to have first-hand knowledge of the psych pop influences that liberally season “Rip It Off”, it is nonetheless obvious that taking the listener on a guitar powered trip comes easily to Parsnip. I’m a believer.

“Talking To Yourself” plays out like a pop song from a time when such things were the norm and Dante Matas does his best to fill the obligatory three minutes with enough in the way of hook and melody to take your attention into tomorrow.

Pulling the stick back on seventies retro rock moves allows “Treat Ya Better” to gain some altitude and duly gives The Criticals the chance to fly their song on to the bridge in order to impress both the youth of today and their gran.

Guitars turned up to the max? Yes! Sleazy streetwise attitude present and correct? Oh yes! God bless Keys for making “I Only Want You For Your Rock and Roll” into the kind of song that actively encourages delinquent behaviour. Play loud.

Minor key melancholy sets the mood for “The Wolf” and Freja Frances weaves enough metaphorical ambiguity into her words to make her song seem deeper than even the shadows in her heart. Worth a second or even third play.