Song reviews

Hushed vocals and a moody laptop actually succeed in giving “Debris”, by Tropical Tobacco, a dark and downbeat atmosphere and you might therefore be inclined to associate them, in musical terms at least, with a London basement of the nineties rather than the Portuguese sunshine.

I just can’t get enough of the currently prevalent Swedish take on europop. Well, actually I can but that doesn’t stop This Vision from turning on the retro rockets and locking their robotic sequencers on 1988. “Hungry Heart” would have been huge back in the day of synth pop and mascara.

Bones on Show – it’s an alias –is/are a little bit better than your average singer songwriter but, ultimately, average dexterity and a half decent voice won’t get you far in a world addicted to gimmicks. “Haunting” therefore fails to excite and the song soon drowns in a small pond of indifference

Likeable if somewaht limp indie rock from East Kilbride, Poor Frisco manage to turn “Burning Books” from what you would think should be a rock anthem into something that would not frighten even a wearer of cardigans from the west (or should that be wooss) end of Glasgow. All things considered, your sister is probably scarier than this song.

“Joy” is a laidback urban jazz flavoured song by New Yorker Tammie K that has the mark of class stamped upon it. Subtly supportive playing leaves plenty of space for her voice to charm and caress your ears. A suitable choice for the musically mature methinks.

It’s as if today never happened as Liverpool band So Sexual use all the moody synth pop influences of their native city from way back in the eighties to kick start their single “This Is Where The Story Ends” and steer it off down the sequenced yellow brick road. It’s a likeable song though and it even inspires you to rearrange the following words into the name of another band – Bunnymen the and Echo.

Going all mellow and reflective this time, Cajsa Siik holds a steady course through her single “Ego” with repressed emotions providing the motivation for her near laconic vocals. It is the kind of song that seems to fit the post sunset groove best so put your headphones on and set a course for the stars.

I’m about 30 seconds in to this song and it has become plainly obvious that I am listening to one of the better educated Glasgow bands that nicely balance their indie pop and neo folk influences.  That might sound like an Admiral Fallow comparison is on the cards but the emotional sharp edges to the lyrics(and an actual vocal arrangement) allows “Keanu Leaves” to walk tall amongst the cardigan wearers.

“Jupiter Tears” is a fair to middling song from Midlands rock band Naked Sunday. In the band’s favour are an honesty of presentation and a decent amount of musical skill but it does seem that they aren’t really developing. In other words, this song sounds pretty much identical to their last one.

Endearingly gimmicky in a cheesy seventies funk kind of way, Italian/Congolese conglomeration Bundamove usher in the summer to the car radios and dance floors of Europe with their single “Sexy Voodoo Party”. It’s enough to make you get up on the good foot.

“Crawl” is a moody slice of neo-folk from Yorkshire band Witch Hunt that seems to draw more from obsession and the shadows of the soul than pixies and fishing boats over its four minute plus running time. Effective female vocals but, in truth, nothing much really happens between start and finish but I suppose it is all, as they say, in the atmosphere.

Eminently crowd pleasing and yet offbeat, “Roll For Me” rolls, yes rolls, along with both maturity and infectious charm driving it and this single provides yet more proof that Woodenbox is one of Glasgow’s hidden treasures. One day (soon?) they shall be worshipped.