Song reviews

Maintaining a balance between the sentimentality and the saccharine is a challenge for the sensitive singer songwriter. Jesse Ruben does a creditable job of just that with his song “This Is Why I Need You” and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear this song used in a montage on a network television series.

Self-consciously stylish, The Three Gentlemen put on the ritz and, simultaneously, their best foot forward to take their electroswing song “What I Do” off in the direction of the nearest uptown supper club. There is, after all, always time for one more musical cocktail before sunrise.

Canadian punk seems to be more Green Day than The Clash if the music evidence provided by No Liars is to be believed. That said, there is a power and conviction to this band’s approach that takes their song “Catalyst” out of the ordinary. The song still sounds best played loud though

There’s a cold Germanic precision to “Easy On Me” that makes the song seem more impersonal than it is yet the mix of electronic chimes, rhythmic brutality and Charlotte Brandi’s laconic tone nonetheless proves to be intoxicating.

Through more indie pop than synth pop in intent, there a purpose to Erin Tobey’s song “Work It Out” and that makes you think wider than sub three minute pop song should. That’s the sign of a literate mind.

There’s still life on the dancefloor and Swedish/American synth popper duo Djustin have the sequenced beats to get your heart started and your feet moving even if Rose Suau’s voice evokes an isolation at odds with the DJ friendliness of "Stars".

As a song, “All In Line” is about as far from any kind of controversy as you can get these days and, duly, Firewoodisland show that their reputation as the festival friendly Ovalteenies of choice for rucksackers and urban warriors is well deserved.

“Blonde American Girl” lasts a lot longer than you would expect of a song with such a title. It is also relentlessly downbeat with Alex Bent & The Emptiness spending his six minutes of fame milking the electronic melancholy for all it is worth.

Guitars on reverb, girlish lead vocals and that retro sound might well be the trademark of many an indie pop band with intentions of making a pilgrimage to the beach but Seattle’s Acapulco Lips have more spirit and charm than most with their song “Tonight” easily making the world seem a better place.

“Pathway” provides all the proof that you might need that Americana is a worldwide phenomenon and all credit to Croatian band She Brought Me Gasoline for managing to sound like they hail from the good old US of A. This is the kind of band that should do well at roots festivals throughout Europe.

Ploughing the mainstream of the nineties is Carly Jamison but, underneath the riffs and sing along chorus that moves “Dynamo” forward, there beats a heart made of something other than gold. One to watch.

A slick slice of classy Euro electro pop, “Your Girl” shows what the normally wistful Lina Hansson can really do as she leads Violet Days confidently on a sequenced march towards stardom.