Song reviews

Nikki J has, without a doubt, a voice but the lacklustre laptop style beats steer “The Way You Do” way too close to the competition to help her fly the flag for the glory of things urban and British.

With an oddly appealing mix of rawk chick vocals and uncommonly fluent guitar, Amazon Blonde keep their collective head above the water all the way through “Soldier of Love”. The song doesn’t quite realise the promise of this band but I’m certain they have bigger guns in their armoury.

Katie Raven takes the big ballad style to heart and duly gives “Chasing The Stars” enough drama and restrained emotion to carry the song into the mainstream. The mainstream is a busy place, however, but I like to think that there is always room for one more on top.

“Higher” allows Cajsa Siik to take us on a journey into a minimalist electronic wonderland and also shows her as a more than capable alternative to Lykke Li especially if poetry is your preference. She does what she does well.

“Checking Out” is an eerily drifting, almost to the point of carelessness, song that highlights the ability of Livingston’s Alan Smithee to turn casual into causal with the end result being almost as hypnotic as one of those vintage lava lamps.

“Rise” is a fairly rough demo from Aberdeen band Cold California that stays well within the boundaries of what you would expect of a rock band these days. There is passion in the vocals but a certain lack of inspiration is also evident in the efforts of the rest of the band.

“Case of the Bends” is a wholesome and reverential take on the solid seventies rock sound that suggests that An Old Friend are the kind of band that should be living on a tour bus. The riffs are present and correct and Damien Biagioni’s vocals indicate that he is perfectly comfortable wearing the leather trousers.

“Holy Ground” is a mainstream, at least in Swedish terms, and intense pop song that, thanks mainly to the distinctive falsetto vocal, makes just enough sonic impact to make you remember that Polar Bear & King is the name of the band.

Melodic Zero 7 style ambient electronic grooving from Holly Tomàs as she takes “Periphery” for a run around the edges of the big city whilst doing some lyrical soul searching. This is the kind of song that seems to work best as the soundtrack to a midnight drive. I like midnight drives.

Here’s a surprise – a hybrid of metal and American manufactured pop sensibilities. Swedish band Amaranthe take every cliché in both of the aforementioned musical playbooks, add in a dash of manic humour that ventures close to parody in the alternating male and female vocals and, remarkably, turn “Drop Dead Cynical” into a song that you might actually want to buy.

More smooth yet fluffy electro pop from Sweden as Moonbabies take their song “Chorus” and float it upon the sugar coated clouds of plastic powered perfection. This will be the soundtrack to a car advert without a doubt.

Can a singer be subtle, sultry and quirky at the same time? It would appear so and Sara Mitra is the proof with her delicious voice dancing over the liquid musical motivations of “In The Pines” as if orchestrated by divine providence. I hear and I worship.