Song reviews

Old school is the way to go for Eric Devine with “Feel The Joy” sounding like it came from an eighties gospel album. It’s a mellow song that doesn’t really go anywhere but is always going in the right direction.

If you happen to be looking for a dish of brooding, looped to the max synth pop bleakness with a side order of spiritual nihilism then look no further than “Your Lies” by Dead Cool. It’s retro relentless and that’s a fact.

With the beats of the backing track looping like a distinctly laconic escapee from the dancefloor. “Never Good Enough” makes the most of mid paced repetition. Demi McMahon’s sweet vocals make the most of the limited lyrics.

Kind of getting a late sixties vibe from this one with Hazel Gaze laying it on like it should be with a little help from their friends. “Until I See You Again” is a solid roll it down the highway song and that works well for me.

Pop songs. Where are all the pop songs? Well, here’s one with “If Your Arms Are Empty” by Third Cut spinning round – at a virtual 45rpm – all the way to the chorus. If this is not the sub three minute song for the summer I don’t know what is.

Heading straight down the centre line of the hard rock highway are Dali Van Gogh and their song “Wicked Way” has enough octane to keep them going all night long. Naturally, there is a guitar solo. A song like this needs a guitar solo.

Swooping synthetically on the loop is Thibault Eskalt yet his song “Animal Emotif” exudes a degree of style that lifts it well above the sequenced mediocrity of the usual dancefloor escapees. Definitely one for the cool kids.

No doubt about it. “Will To Survive” is an anthemic take it to the chorus every time kind of song that will bring joy to the ears of rock festival people who live for that kind of thing. Needless to say, Around 7 also have loud guitars.

With almost cinematic sweep, Praise Team jump from clarity and harmony to murk and melancholy over the five minutes and 46 seconds of “Red Balloon”. No idea what the song is about but that matters not as your ears stumble about in the shadows.

A song for our times perhaps? “Good Girl” sounds like it should be an eighties power ballad yet the lyrics stray from dramatically enhanced matters of the heart into something altogether more cogent and self-reflective. Interesting.

Now this is more like it with Blushing taking the ethereal superhighway to get “Sugarcoat” to its destination. Brooding right up to the red line and fuelled by murky melancholy, this song is a road map to success.

Annie Liang mixes minimalist synth pop in with the sound of the city and then adds a layer of metaphorical irony to the lyrics of “Silly Girl” with the result being something of a twisted fairytale for our times.