Song reviews

Swiss duo Huck Finn excise any excitement from “Before You Begin” with near military precision. The piano drowns in reverb and the vocals follow the mood into the land of melancholy. It’s a long walk.

Nicely polished, Boston’s Louie Bello rattles through his dancefloor friendly song “Take The Money” like it was 1989 once again. He might well get you thinking of Rick Astley and long nights in white stilettoes again but his heart and soul are in the right place.

Obviously fond of taking their urban poetry out for a drive in a fast, and probably stolen car, Sleaford Mods speed mercilessly through the back streets to John Cooper Clarke’s house. “ A Little Ditty” is righteously quirky and full of barely suppressed anger all at the same time making it a fact and a fight all in one.

Perfectly poised for the mainstream, Liverpool’s Helena Johnson aims “Take Me Home Tonight” right at Adele territory. Ms.Johnson has a civilised yet robust voice and she transcends the limitations of the song with ease. I shall light a candle of hope for her.

“Firebird” demonstrates that Apache Darling are a more serious band than their previous output might have lead you, or I, to believe. The retro electro sound is still present and correct but the mood is altogether darker with Stefanie Lawrence’s voice easily evoking shadows rather than sunshine.

France has always done well when it comes to producing quirky female singers and Laetitia Shériff proves the point with the lilting “To Visit Brighton” taking a minimalist, yet also stylish and acerbic, approach to reinventing the urban sound. Cool is the word.

Conventional yet charming, Seattle’s Courtney Marie Andrews takes the acoustic route through the past towards that time when innocence could occupy the same stage as empathy. “Not The End” is a softly sung song with a message and is available as a free download from Bandcamp.

“The Arising” sounds more the product of a band from the good old US of A than Sweden with Hillström & Billy using up all the right Americana influences on their walk up to Robbie Robertson’s house. We already know the way and so, it would seem, do they.

It often seems that Jamie Flett has a world view that verges on the spiritual and, this time around, he takes his philosophical outlook and uses it as the vehicle to float “Worth It In The End” upon the sea of lost souls. His candle, nonetheless, burns brightly in the gloom.

An amiably drifting soundtrack to those nights alone with your headphones, Warehouse Eyes quietly convince with their mix of electronic ambience, masculine guitars and sugary vocals. “Tokyo” will, if you are so inclined, make you scratch that goatee beard that you so carefully grew and ponder the wonders of the relationship you no longer have.

Balancing their appeal somewhere between the street and the dancefloor, Sweden’s BLKMGK neatly wrap their song “You Don’t Deserve Me” in rap and reggae decorated wrapping paper. They are probably the most exciting band to come out of Sweden since Alcazar.

Rough and energetic, Aberdeen’s Cook Doo draw on all the best bluesy influences to give “Ivory Tower” its beer soaked impact. Not subtle but their collective musical heart undoubtedly beats like that of a lion.