Song reviews


  Not Enough by Black City Lights


Not Enough cover art


Synth-pop

An appealing shadows and light approach enlivens “Not Enough (For Us)” as Black City Lights use alternating overlaid vocals to turn the doom laden synth-pop backing track into something inspirational. It might well be a retro sound but it is a retro sound done well.


Review date: 
  on.fb.me/1oknZVn

  Sense by Shrinking Minds


Sense cover art


Retro thrusters

Shrinking Minds roll with the groove and spin “Sense” into an unfocused dive that takes them into the world of psychedelia. They have the feel right but there is a certain lack of concentration evident that renders the end result untidy and, consequently, rather unconvincing.


  Delivo by The Sailmakers


Delivo cover art


Delving backwards

Kind of jangly in that sixties folk rock kind of way, The Sailmakers make “Delivo” more than the sum of its rather crudely assembled parts and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling too. It’s enough to make you want to smoke something.


Review date: 
  www.thesailmakers.co.uk

  Imagining You Naked by Nigel Egg


Imagining You Naked cover art


Smiling bluesman

Nigel Egg – now there’s a name for you – hops the blues train out of the station for a curiously British sounding, and charmingly dubious, reflection on lust. In lyrical terms, “Imagining You Naked” does what it says on the tin but with a healthy dash of the kind of good humour that modern day political correctness just won’t allow.


Review date: 
  www.nigelegg.com

  Witch Hunt by Voodoo Mind Control


Witch Hunt cover art


On the way up

Another product of Glasgow, Voodoo Mind Control casually drift the alt-rock pretensions of “Witch Hunt” towards left of centre. The laconic female vocals and some righteously grungy guitar running across the bridge seal the deal before, wam-a-bang, the song just ends.


Review date: 
  Voodoomindcontrol.co.uk

  Hush Baby by Courtney


Hush Baby cover art


Pop princess

Courtney, it would seem, is from Glasgow and, with her song “Hush Baby”, she throws her all into being a plastic pop princess. She makes a pretty convincing job of it too even if the song itself is something of an underachiever.


  Rock It by Nawuel Dash


Rock It cover art


Electro dance

Old style electro aimed directly at the dance floor, Nawuel Dash just about pull off their hybrid Jacksons meet the NY nightclub scene of the eighties sound and consequently are able to send “Rock It” directly from the past to your headphones.


  Midsummer Rock by Kickstart Rockers


Midsummer Rock cover art


Reliable rockers

“Midsummer Rock” is an honest rock song by an honest band with no apparent desire to go further than posture furiously and have a good time. That is, of course, exactly what a rock band of the old school type should do so Kickstart Rockers can hardly be criticised for that. This, perhaps remarkably, is actually the best song in this week’s batch.


Review date: 
  www.kickstartrockers.com

  When The Lights Go Out by Molly Beanland


When The Lights Go Out cover art


Lost in music

I have a (somewhat vague) recollection of hearing Molly Beanland before but, even bearing that in mind, I can think of no reason why she should choose to do a simply woeful cover of “When The Lights Go Out” to further her career. I can only hope that this amateurish effort was a demo that accidentally escaped.


  Kiss Hug Make Up by Longfellow


Kiss Hug Make Up cover art


Identikit boys

There is a not a lot to be said about “Kiss-Hug-Make Up” as it does no more than provide evidence that Longfellow aspire to being a replica of every other anodyne band out there. That’s a shame as Owen Lloyd has a voice that soars high above the identikit song, the derivative production and his uninspired bandmates.


  It's Over Now by Saintway


It's Over Now cover art


Brotherly love

Apparently two brothers from Sweden, Saintway sound more like the product of an overdose of anodyne American folk rock influences and “It’s Over Now” thus bears comparison with any Fleet Foxes’ song that you might care to think of. The song is, however, nicely performed and produced.


Review date: 
  on.fb.me/1n20JPD

  Tell Me Why by A Course of Action


Tell Me Why cover art


Old school rockers

It has to be said that proper hard rock never seems to go out of fashion and North Carolina band A Course Of Action prove just that with their song “Tell Me Why”. A Course of Action are as much of now as they are of twenty years ago but you can’t go wrong with riffing guitars and emotive lead vocals. I suspect that this is the kind of band that would step on your head if they found out you owned a man bag.



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