Song reviews

Somewhat playful in her approach and harking back knowingly to the early days of the urban genre, Deqn Sue is undoubtedly easy on the ear while still easily managing to take her song “Messy” for a rewarding walk along the yellow brick road. I feel the need to give this one two thumbs up.

Apparently from the Ukraine but you would never guess from their solid grasp of American style indie rock, Indytronics strut their stuff with a respectable degree of confidence and charm whilst the cascading guitars gently weep all over their song “Savannah Only Temple”.

Amy Stroup energises the sequenced loops of “Magic” with hypnotic precision and the kind of edgy vocals that are infused with a combination of world weariness and heart driven observation. Too cool for school perhaps but plenty cool enough for the street.

A manic – but in a good way – example of short sharp shock indie pop from Bloomington’s Amy O with her song “History Walking” staying just ahead of any accusations of musical larceny before taking it to the proverbial bridge.

No matter how you look at it, Dave Arcari and only an acoustic guitar is a formidable combination with “Givers & Takers” showing that, even with the volume turned down and his whisky glass empty, he can turn a few words into a message for us all. That’s the blues, for sure.

Swedish pop music with female lead vocals and solid American style influences might perhaps sound unappetising but there is singalong ear candy aplenty within the bounds of Trolleberg’s song “Constipated”.

Using the power of sequenced repetition almost to excess, Illyin Pipes exorcise the ghost of urban ennui with a drifting female voice and thus provide the soul to take this song out of the bedsit and into the Subaru of life.

Dawa are to be commended for the understated elegance that drives their minimalist indie folk song “Put It Away” forward although it is likely that the tastemakers will pass it by for that very same reason.

“Best Me” manages to sound so familiar that you think you must have heard it before. However, I’m not sure if Davies was attempting such a deliberate irony or just trying to sound like the rest of the mainstream pack.

A pleasingly melodic song, Little Geronimo’s “Change” proves that indie rock American style is a hell of a lot more interesting than indie rock UK style. Sure, the guitars still cascade in lines that are straight but you can, at very least, sing along to this one whilst halted at the traffic lights of life.

“Beautiful” by Los Angeles band Tokyo may be the kind of song that is light as a summer breeze yet there is something enchanting about these plastic coated escapees from the dancefloor that leads even the cynical towards thoughts of better times.

“Crazy Idea” is the kind of super commercial song that makes the country charts these days with just enough pedal steel on show to turn Jessica Lynn into the pickup truck princess of choice for the next few years.