Song reviews

Oddly atmospheric escapees from the arthouse, Lu Flur concoct a recipe made of female vocals, indignation and an electro acoustic harp and call it “Translucent”. Why not I say for this a deep dive through the light into the dark. Obsession has a new home.

It’s electro retro time again as Das Fluff take to the basement for a rough and ready take on the dance floor mayhem of post death disco New York and excessive mascara. I feel a strobe light coming on and the cat is wearing a hat for “Tokyo Daisuki“ is warp factor 6 Mr Sulu and set course for the nearest black hole.

OK so this one appeared out of nowhere but it is hard to deny the rather ironic appeal of this all girl post punk band from India. The song – “Ready Set Go” – is minimum chords and maximum attitude but that surely is the point and you can actually sing along with it. Now that’s a very good thing indeed.

It’s a primitive thing without a doubt as Scotland’s The Creeping Ivies go sub three minute CBGB punk in the cosy suburban surrounds of their own garage with an actual girl overpowering the distortion with her voice. “What would Joey Ramone Do?” poses a valid question and the answer is that he would buy the damn single. Nuff said.

Equal part melancholy and enigma, Sweden’s Luna Green throws a bleak lyrical sophistication into the folk song mix with "Blue Angel" that turns the song right around and points it at the city and the municipal graveyard. The long lost granddaughter of Leonard Cohen? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

“Black Smoke” hides the hypnotic voice of Molly Grace in an endless tunnel of reverb and dislocation with the rest of the band plodding along grimly but purposefully in her footsteps. It’s a deep dark song that punches above its expected weight and, consequently, would make a great soundtrack to the eternal rain that seeks to wash our souls clean of sin.

Apparently from Glasgow although they could be from anywhere, Have Mercy Las Vegas dig up the grave of Americana and then energetically recreate the barn dances of old with “Pappy”. As I am sober this song does not do much for me but if I were to be blootered and in the company of a goat then this could well be a soundtrack for love.

It’s not all three minutes and a happy smile out there in pop picker land. As if to prove that very point, The Sexbots weave the female voice amongst the strands of sequenced ambient soundscapes and assaulted sound bites to help “Magic Eyes” make the transition from the arthouse to your consciousness. Minimalism done right (for a change).

Curtain Closed give us a nicely competent take on indie rock Italian style with “Creeds” that is pleasingly energetic if a bit awkward in execution. Nevertheless they show more potential than most.

OK, not sure what happened here as I doubt that this song was supposed to last a mere 32 seconds. That said, any more of the discordant musical musings of You Left End of Story - “Halloween” is the song, by the way– and I would have had to hunt him down and kick him repeatedly. Wait a minute, perhaps the “song” was meant to be ironic?

Tarsiers are a three piece band from Cardiff – or so it would appear – but nothing in “Camels” suggests a Welsh heritage. Whether that is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion, of course, but this song would not be out of place in the basement of some Saigon nightclub circa 1968. It’s time for the past again.

“Elemental” does seem a bit quaint on initial acquaintance but, after giving it a bit more attention, its offbeat retro synth sound and floating female vocals got to me. Not enough to displace Lykke Li from the pinnacle of my affections but close enough for a cuddle at least.