Song reviews

Sometimes you get the melancholy and sometimes the melancholy gets you and The Howlin’ Gales have certainly got the melancholy with “Slow Dancing” rolling like an album track from the tour bus rock of the seventies. One for that last dance.

“Heard It All Before” neatly illustrates that NATI has what it takes to go all upbeat and festival friendly. The song has what it takes to take the listener all the way to the bridge with a whistle stop at the singalong chorus. It’s a good one.

Endearing in that fragile way that the better singer songwriters seem to specialise in, Hannah Scott swirls the heartfelt words into “Bigger Than My Body” to make an emotional sponge cake that sensitive souls will want to eat.

Native Harrow can do a nice line in literate lyrics and “Follow Me Round” is proof of that with the delicate, yet intense, female vocals leading the song over a sparse backing that leaves plenty of space for contemplation. Classy it is.

Whilst not actually a song of yesterday,” Look At The Clown” by Iceland’s Ari Árelíus certainly demonstrates that he has the substance, and metaphorical spirit of the more spirited social commentators of yesteryear’s folk singers. Smooth until the sudden end.

Super cool and smooth the point of being suave, Silva and Steini’s cover of “I Ought To Stay Away From You” is almost all the modern jazz is supposed to be even if they get a bit playful towards the end of the song. Be cool.

A one man blues band, the splendidly named Jungle Jim Smith throws in enough alcohol references to remind you why it is called twelve bar blues. “Death and Whiskey” might be old school but we can all learn from it.

The title says it all. The Twistettes unleash a brutal and minimalist sonic assault on the senses which is most definitely not a celebration of the titular, and thoroughly privileged, pond life. “Tory Cunts” is right enough.

An oddly lumpy foray into guitar fuelled grunge, “Get Me To The Dentist” doesn’t really go anywhere as a song yet Kibby manages to prove some sort of tempo shifting point in less than three minutes. Gets better with volume.

Sounding polished and professional is Flo Wilkes and her song “Rewritten” plays out with a mellow, middle of the road singer songwriter vibe. The decent lyrics and the guitar solo add enough sparkle to increase the song’s airplay potential.

You can’t go far wrong with a song by Schubert and Dreya Starr duly updates “Ave Maria” with loops and a rapper in the middle whilst still keeping the spiritual intent. No doubting her voice though as that is altogether exquisite.

Practically a lesson in arthouse musical hypnotism, “Velvet Flickering Heart” convincingly illustrates that Francesca Bono has the ability to meander whilst simultaneously staying locked to the loop. It’s a spiritual four minute song.