Song reviews

Scottish boys show themselves to be the jaggy bunnet wearing sons of Blur as “Sweeten The Deal” whoops it up with harmonies and, you heard it here first, an actual melody. This is a properly constructed pop song just like they used to make before the music business went power chords and unsuccessful beards. It’s enough to make you forget there is a recession.

Juba are from Lisbon and actually manage to make indie rock sound interesting with their song “Bloodvessels”. The pounding drums, cascading guitars and moody male vocals fall into place nicely and the end result responds well to being cranked up to full volume.

I like a bit of melodic metal as much as the next guy and “When I’m Not Around” is indeed a bit of melodic metal forged from the best hair rock that time travelling can buy. This song is a good effort with plenty of attitude but it lacks a certain something and that something is a great big guitar solo. Perhaps, underneath all the macho posturing, Senate of Prevail are actually vegetarians?

“Drop Dead Shoes” is the kind of song that I should hate. It’s got plastic drums, power chords on overdrive and a malevolent growl substituted for vocals but it still kind of got to me. Don’t get me wrong for this song is crude stuff but it is also probably an antidote to my shit don’t stink indie rock. I feel some cautious enthusiasm coming on.

Indie going on retro for this Dundee band but “Was She A Pro” doesn’t really convince. The simplistic guitars and cheesy synths seem at odds with the quite frankly painful vocals and, to tell the truth, the whole song just sounds unfinished. In fact, the song pretty much fell apart at 1:40.

In some sort of attempt to distract me from doing proper reviewing, Glasgow’s The Skunnered have tossed me an instrumental called “The Devil Is In The Details”. It’s not in their usual style and, devoid of their good time lyrics, lacks most of their charm. I’d see this song as being part of the soundtrack to a TV movie at best.

Aged Teen are an Italian band, it would seem, and “Self Doubt” walks tall with the confident and emotive vocals of Dario Guarino leading the band through an elegantly constructed and executed rock ballad that sweats style. I like it, yes I do.

“Promises Are Lies” is a by the book rock song with a chorus and riffing guitars. The vocals work well but the rest of those involved lack any sort of bounce or indeed originality thus letting the song fall flat on its face under the weight of its own self importance.

London band Pistols At Dawn take a leisurely run at that literate Britpop feel with “Man.Wolf.Man”. Dan Mclachlan brings the necessary confidence to the vocals and the production just about supports the song’s intention and direction but it has also to be said that the end result is just a bit dull.

“Bouncing Ball” rambles (almost) unforgivably even for a song drawing heavily on folk music influences but our Mr Flett saves the day with the kind of easy going yet world weary vocals that could only have been hewn from deepest darkest mahogany.  A star in the ascendance?

The Skunnered return to display their sensitive side. It is perhaps no surprise therefore that “If You Wanted To Stay Forever” is both mellow and distinctly close to a ballad. The more cynical amongst you could also see this song as a near perfect pastiche of the Irish country song writing style. Only without the white cowboy hats, of course.

A big on riffs low on lyrics song from Swedish melodic metallers Senate of Prevail, ”Open Your Eyes” sounds a bit familiar and  a bit insanely macho in a retro leather trouser wearing kind of way. The insanely macho bit is good. The lack of originality is not. A solid effort, I suppose, but they have done better.