Song reviews

“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.

Sounds more like musclebound indie rock than anything else, “Murder Ballad” nonetheless has more than enough hints at unhealthy pursuits to persuade non-believers that worship of this Sheffield band is worthwhile. Vultures is their name (before you ask).

Clearly unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, Katey Morley makes much more of a point than most with her song “Good Little Girls”. She’s more than just heart though with some sharp words making their way through the mix to provide the payload for this big bang song.

As decidedly retro as the style gurus of synth pop decree, Night Drive still manage to inject enough emotion into their song “Rise And Fall” to make that late night journey across town in your BMW worthwhile.

On first acquaintance, you might find yourself ready to dismiss “I’ve Told Lies” as just the product of another white girl trying to squeeze into the confines of the urban genre but Dani Le Rose instead exudes more the scent of the adventurous than the avaricious.

Seems like female fronted guitar bands never go out of fashion with Alexa Dark duly keeping the faith all the way through her song “Empty Drinks” while adding just enough street corner charm of her own to keep you interested.

“Nothing But Dreams” takes a while to get going and relies heavily on repetition just like bedsit electronica tends to but Eden Sela also throws in a great big chunk of artistic pretension and that very act saves the day.

Laid back to about 15 degrees above the horizontal, Masasolo coolly takes his song “Idaho” for a walk on the eighties river side with a few Style Council references keeping him company.

Texas band The Human Circuit appear to have learned well from their influences with their song “Juxtaposition” exuding the kind of alt-pop class that bands like The Hush Sound had back in the day. In other words, they are really rather good.