Song reviews

“Closer” is a song that sounds bleak yet you should give it time as Anna Marcella’s voice brings a fairytale quality to Sykoya’s song that proves to be enticing. There are, as they say, darker forces at work everywhere.

Low key yet curiously entrancing, the Louise Ward’s lost in the distanced vocals give “All The While” a fairytale quality that neatly parallels the song’s emotional depth. When all is said and done, this is an affecting song.

“Into The Unknown” is certainly a commercial song and RÉN has a voice good enough to add soul to the song’s obvious synth pop heritage and thus justify a place on any discerning iPod playlist.

There is enough eighties and nineties retro influences to give ear appeal to “Slow Down” with Mike Harris, or VOKES as he is known here, throwing in some urban soulful seasoning to keep it fresh.

With their studious blues-soul hybrid sound , Italian band Sunsweet Blues Revenge show they have what it takes to make their mark on the stage of any blues festival in Europe with Irene Loche’s low key vocal on “That Time Is Over” working better than you might reasonably expect.

I wonder if this is the start of a trend for REWS seem to be another female rock duo. No matter, for their song “Shake Shake” stands up perfectly well outside of whatever counts a fashion in the music business these days and, naturally, the song benefits from the excessive application of volume so turn it up and enjoy.

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".