Song reviews

What does a protest song sound like nowadays anyway? Ask the Girobabies for their song “Dear Monday” really reeks of revolution. Not many bands can mix apathy challenging lyrical literacy with the kind of stab you in the head attitude like this band do so why aren’t they legendary? Questions, questions.

Emily Rowed aims at understatement with her song “Watercolors” yet she nonetheless remains pleasingly poetic while staying within the rigidly sequenced expectations of a modern woman with a song to sing. This one grows on you.

Although infused with the easy going vibe of yesteryear, “Til The Morning” is still a song of today with Claire Ridgely pressing all the right style buttons to give her song appeal to the those of the coffee shop generation who still value sentiment.

If ever a song deserved to be described as urban super cool then it would be “No More Lies” by Undersound. Full of coffee shop pleasing smooth jazz overtones and topped off with eminently classy voice of Bella Collins, the song is where the cool cats are at.

I found myself quite intoxicated by “1988” by Swimming Bell. Devoid of any crude attempt to get you from the get-go, she instead draws you along on a misty, indeed mystical, musical journey that will remind you why you always liked folk music.

Having washed in a river of melancholy, Luvia emerges from the water to present her downbeat, perhaps even wistful song “Hunted”. The song swims in misty reverb and her plaintive voice mixes deeper meaning with fragility. Might make a good montage song.

Charlie Hole certainly knows how to deliver an emotional performance and duly gives his song life. “Boundaries” is another mid paced ballad from this singer but I have to admit that he does such things well. This one is destined for airplay.

Jackie Venson always tries that little bit harder and “Witchcraft” provides yet more evidence of that. Musical maturity always shows through and, with classic rock stylisations decorating the song, both old and young ears will grow to like this one.

Just for a change this week, “Hooked on Helen’s “No Turning Back” is an upbeat pop song that would have been right at home in the charts in the days before EDM ruined it all. Anyway, I would have bought it if I had to just so I could sing along in the car.

Another band hooked on retro, Chateau Chateau nevertheless sidestep the dangers of exorcism with “Driving in Circles” inheriting enough from the Tucson sunshine to make it endearingly quirky. Best bit was the unexpected, and rather cheesy, saxophone solo.

Clearly keen to occupy the sensitive end of the indie rock spectrum, Marquee Grand avoid going for maximum guitars and instead chase the mainstream with some decent lyrics and a latté friendly chorus. Methinks “Just Like You” should do some business.

Wryly interweaving minimalist plastic synth pop sounds with lyrics that would be equally at home in an old school power ballad isn’t a new approach in the Scandi pop world but Majro shows that, with her song “Talk”, she has mastered the style.