Song reviews

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.

Lots of retro analogue sounds and effects give “Who Ae We To Love” a swirling, diffident feel that allows HunBjørn to walk the line between the currently trendy downbeat synth pop sound and her more emotionally diverse arthouse influences.

Not.Your.Regular.Boy ticks all the retro dancefloor style boxes with “I Want You” resonating with the necessary repetition and currently trendy post midnight analogue sounds. There’s even a mid- sized chorus to get your lips moving with your feet.

Ah, the tortured soul of the singer songwriter still walks this planet! Christopher The Conquered strolls the low key path the many have strolled before him but “The Day I Went Solo” has an honesty and directness that few bother with nowadays.

There seems to be no shortage of low key indie pop coming out of Sweden these days and Chez Ali’s “Shake Shack” is a cut above the average with both melody and the laidback, almost lounge, feel working in the song’s favour.

“Hey There Cowgirl” shows that Palm Springsteen have mastered brooding old school synth pop and have also added enough modern day attitude to make the song seem far more muscular than is the norm in these compromised days. Crank it up!

At last a singer with a passion for what she is doing. Nuela Charles has the confidence and old school style to get her message across which makes her song “Long Way Down” an essential part of your healthy diet. Your ears will thank you for this one.

“Lemonade” does indeed have some fizz – and some fuzz – and provides the necessary proof that the ghost of nineties rock is more than happy to haunt a band of today like Nikki’s Wives. The strength is in the female vocals and it’s retro all the way.

Almost organic in feel, “Happier Now” has the lilting vocals and acoustic guitar from the folk music of a former generation but native Harrow has added words of timeless appeal. The result may sound retro but the song in undeniably easy on the ear.

It would seem that “Wide Awake” by Phonettes is the work of a film composer so it is no surprise that the song succeeds in creating atmosphere from analogue synth sounds, laidback vocals and steady thematic development. The maturity shines through.

A man who has not forgotten the power and necessity of melody, Rob Snarski takes a walk on the lounge side with his song “All God’s Creatures”. Fortunately, class is always where it is at and this is a song with class stamped all over it.