Song reviews

Playing it straight down the line are All Hallowed with their song “Haunt” pulling moves from the grunge playbook whilst still retaining enough in the way of hook and melody to guarantee that all important radio interest.

You can’t keep a good man down and, even when encircled with ElectroBluesSociety technology, Boo Boo Davis still rolls like blues were his one and only gospel. It’s all in the feel and Boo Boo Davis gets that just right.

Curiously appealing for a locked to the loop song, Marie-Clo interjects more than sings her way through “Tides of Fools” yet the result is much more than the mediocrity that you might expect. Hopefully, there is an album out there to go with this one.

Sonically, “Just Like Smoke” is a low key run through the avenues and alleyways of the urban genre. Lyrically however, Marigolden stamps both intelligence and elegance all over her song and that makes for a genuine ripple in the lake of life.

It is indeed the time for reflection and Redwood duly has her finger on the pulse with her song “Rewind”. The piano is present and correct to provide minor key melancholy and her voice soon finds solace in those shadows.

Understated but not without style, “Free State of Mind” moves in a minimalist manner through the urban jungle with Fay Lamour making the most of her slow rolling musical moves. Left of centre is where it is at these days.

“Spellbinding” is indeed a pop song of respectable strength with enough retro moves to tick all the trendy boxes on anybody’s style sheet. Nadia Vaeh throws in a suitably robust vocal performance that justifies radio play and perhaps even some remixes.

Low key in that ever fashionable minimalist synth pop style, “Deepest Ocean” nonetheless has a decided hypnotic effect on the ears. If you are going to loop then loop it right and that is just what The fin. have done with this song.

The Bartells wouldn’t be much of an indie rock band if they didn’t at least try to turn all their songs into potential anthems and their song “1972” duly takes it to the big chorus with a riff or three keeping it company. Sing along!

Ah! The sound of the city echoes around the room courtesy of Erotic Secrets of Pompeii. “The End of Love” struts about like a song on a mission to smite mediocrity with a musical sword made the of best theatrical steel. Play loud!

“Empty Shoulders” is the kind of song where meandering sounds wander about in search of greater things as the - wondrously named - Faux Fur Bean Cube emotes in the foreground. A mite pretentious perhaps but there is a certain hypnotic quality to it.

Now this is more like it. Grungy guitars, lost in space drums and a wandering female voice decorate “Artemisia” duly turning the song into a headphone weapon. The fast fade allows Faux Machismo to escape back into the night.