Song reviews

Despite being Swedish and of today, Le Maine seem more of the time of stadium rock with “Daughter of A King” providing plenty of evidence that the dramatic ballad is alive and well. The female vocal gives the song all the credibility it needs.

Pleasingly complex math rock with art house pretensions is what you get from Brooklyn’s Sister Helen and their song “Try and Try Again” stumbles, fumbles and grumbles yet still makes it to the finishing line with its musical head held high. That’s plenty good enough for me.

Although I doubt that anyone could, or would, rotate ambiguously to the robotic rhythms of “Throwing Stones”, Empathy Test manage to hold court on the midnight dance floor whilst sounding considerably more human than their relentlessly downbeat synth pop motivations should allow.

So desperately retro that it must surely be a pastiche, “A/E” highlights the ability of Banana Beach – they’re Swedish, by the way – to recreate the locked to the loop synth pop sound of the eighties. The past is the new present once again, it would seem.

Jamie Flett turns up both the melancholy and the reverb and takes “Gold Coins III” on a lyrically oblique journey into the mists of lost opportunity. A mature song even if it is let down somewhat by the imprecision of the backing musicians.

Moody and near theatrical in its execution, “I Feel Fine” gives Dominic Scott the opportunity to do a more than worthy impersonation of Chris Isaak whilst allowing the song to build up a very respectable head of steam on its way to Showtune Station. Beard scratching good.

The lightweight end of the indie pop musical spectrum has never been afraid of the sun and Lunchbox bask in the warmth of the California sunshine with “Give A Little Love” reminding these ears of no less than the pop perfection of early period Marshall Crenshaw. All that lo-fi candy floss may well rot your teeth but their emotional attachment to melody is to be commended.

The Ragamuffins never fail to disappoint as one of the last practitioners of right down the line pop music to survive in Englandshire and “Taped Off The Radio” decorates their song writing talents with a dash of funk just like they used to do back in the days when there was a music industry. Time, fellow believers, to sing along.

“Grow Down” is the kind of folk song that starts off sounding so fragile that it gains a near devotional quality but Kate in the Kettle quickly whips some passion into it before a delicate fade into the musical equivalent of a sunset finally puts the song in your pocket. I am charmed indeed.

A handy Welsh dictionary translated “Calon Peiriant” into “Robot Heart” so it is perhaps unsurprising that Gwenno has given us a song supported on a platform of minimalist electronics. This is a downbeat song but Gwenno’s voice is so full of wistful warmth that she will make you believe that you can actually find happiness in those few moments of freedom left amongst the urban oppression.

“Arrival” proves to be a rather restrained song that hides the musical talents of Glasgow alternative rock band Tetra under the proverbial bushel. That may, of course, have been the plan all along but I think it is time for someone to let them play with matches. Guitar abuse is, after all, not a crime as long as you turn up the heat while you do it.

A thoroughly polite piece of indie pop from London’s The Beautiful Game, “Drunken Blues” has prominent hints of The Smiths and Glasgow guitar pop from the good old days in its musical motivations. That, I would imagine, will put a smile on the face of many a trendy young man.