Song reviews

London four piece art pop band Cop On The Edge have released this song, “Signs of Life”, ahead of the EP from whence it will come. It’s a jaunty – there’s a word I haven’t used for a while – song that has all those nice little touches like hooks and choruses that a lot of bands forget about these days. Even the rather obvious retro Talking Heads influences enhance rather than distract.

Pleasingly over emotive, in the Morrissey style, vocals by Thomas David lifts “Lowlands” far above its Glasgow eighties guitar pop roots and takes the song soaring off into near cabaret. The result is, of course, pretentious but it is also undeniably a performance.

A sensitive singer songwriter with some obvious sonic ambition, Silent Sleep attempts to escape Liverpool with this stateless wanderer. “We’ve Fallen Out Again” is likeable and amiably aimless but lacks any real sparkle although the trumpet solo did suggest that Silent Sleep is somewhat ashamed to admit to his Britpop influences.

Revived from Midwest obscurity, the Pedaljets unleash a pretty good facsimile of their eighties proto indie rock sound. “Riverview” riffs along happily and makes a good accompaniment to things like beer and fast cars. The song has been released on vinyl, naturally, so add it to your menu.

“Largs” is nicely done with the occasional nice harmony thrown in and yet is indistinguishable from the music of a dozen other undistinguished Scottish bands. It’s a safe bet therefore that one or more of the band members was conceived to the music of Deacon Blue.

“Two Hearts” provides more evidence that Sweden is the epicentre of European electro pop with Sanna Hallgren’s voice echoing all the right influences (like Bjork) whilst simultaneously showing a near Germanic avoidance of actual quirkiness. One day all computers will sound like this.

Courageously placing the male vocals completely at odds with the rest of the band, Brittsommar’s pseudo Americana sounds like an unfortunate karaoke version of a Chris Isaak song with the twang surgically removed.  In other words, it’s more than a bit unconvincing.

Sweden does indie pop rather well these days and “Do You Remember” by Josefina Sanner is a nice, confident example of this style that cleverly remains just inside genre expectations. She’s easy on the ear and the song is catchy and that is about as much as you could reasonably ask for these days.

Although apparently from Italy, Apash 2012 nonetheless delivers “Blacker” in the time honoured style free sensitive acoustic singer songwriter way. A guaranteed challenge to your ability to stay interested (or awake for that matter).

More talked rather than sung through, “Bad Girl Blues” is just about what you would expect - if expectations can be considered appropriate to an enigma – of Sheila K Cameron.  The song is like stream of consciousness poetry mixed with the French chanson style then baked in an oven with the blues. I’ll admit this song probably doesn’t have wide appeal but it is strangely satisfying.

“Stanyerland” has that hewn from rock history feel with those raspy vocals and over busy guitar suggesting this song is more a child of the early seventies than of today. If they were to add in a proper chorus and a good old fashioned guitar solo then they could possibly get that crowd singing along with them.

If I were to say that “Mourir Pour La Pop” is a moody and dark indie pop song from French band Garçon d'Argent, you might groan and reach for another cigarette. However, they are French and can therefore throw more style into the musical equation than seems possible so you end up standing in the shadows just so you can sing along.