Song reviews

A rough and ready reinvention of rock’s history, “New Connection” demonstrates that Julez has studied the lessons of the past well and learned the art of making a song sufficiently robust to withstand even a Friday night.

Describing a song like “Seventeen” as rather likeable might seem like faint praise yet it is something of a rarity in these plastic days. My compliments therefore to Haley Blais for making music made for the soul rather than made for a marketing campaign.

Digging up the past in the best Americana tradition, Lightnin’ Luke sounds like he has just jumped off the shellac singing his song “Poison Angel Girl”. Authenticity is the message here, but his playful approach might well get attention from roots festival bookers too.

ST.MARTiiNS tick all the trendy indie tick boxes with their song “ur so pretty” but they still manage to mix in enough low key charm to complement those eighties style beats currently beloved of the cognoscenti. Success? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

Very much in the seventies rock style, Mike Bern throws in deeper meaning and the prerequisite guitar solo into his languorous song “First Mother”. Whilst this isn’t an approach that many take these days, the end result should please fans of such things.

Downbeat, down under and yet, despite the minor chord melancholy that powers “You Got Me”, Lisa Crawley always manages to suggest hope eternal with her songs. If you are going to be sensitive, this is the way to do it.

Describing a song as nice is probably an insult these days but “Go with You” by Mike Edel is just that – a nice song nicely sung. Whether airplay or even a market exists for such a song still exists is questionable, but it is what it is and none the worse for that.

A purveyor of hard edged pop with an American feel, Harlea strikes out for commercial success with “Beautiful Mess”. The song has montage appeal, as they say in television land, but won’t be out of place on a mainstream playlist.

Looped and verging on loopy, Irish laptop funsters Æ Mak dance merrily inside their particular brand of minimalist robotic madness and duly take their song “Love Rush” into the zone named endearing. It’s sweet and soft to the touch.

British synth funksters L.A.D. plunder the sounds of the past once more with “My Toy” mixing up the Billy Ocean groove with the playfulness of Prince to ear pleasing effect. It’s enough to make you wish for a release on a twelve-inch single.

Norphlet would seem to be an honest band with their song “Brand New” making all the right old school guitar driven alt-rock noises just like they did way back in the nineties. A song for today? Perhaps not but a song nonetheless and one that deserves to find a friend or two.

With Fleetwood Mac influences much to the fore, “Running Away” takes Sinny all the way from the west coast of Scotland to the west coast of America whilst providing her with the opportunity to demonstrate her maturity as a writer of songs. A wider audience surely awaits.