“There is Nothing” is another chunk of solid rock from VK Lynne distinguished by some deeper than usual lyrics delivered over the customary thudding drums and riffing guitars expected of the genre. For a change, worthy and loud co-exist.
Echoes of the dancefloor resonate through “Watch Your Lady (Bam Bam) “ with all that stylised repetition allowing Jeany James to identify herself as a purveyor of modern processed pop songs. It’s the sound of today.
Cellmod has the unmistakeable sound of an escapee from the prison of the dancefloor and “Sound The Siren” robotically, and successfully, sets out to convince you of the need to add this song to your phone’s midnight playlist.
They still make them like they used to. Bonneville takes the old school singer songwriter route with her song “Chimpanzee” and duly enchants the coffee shop crowd into following her every word. Laconically ironic is where it is at
Some nicely melodic pop from Hermetic Delight who season their song “Ankara Punk” with sentimental lyrics, eighties synth pop style and a sugary coating. It’s enough to make you want to eat cake and dream of better days.
Perhaps oddly for a French band, Apart sound positively American on their song “Unsaid”. The guitars lead the song along with spirit although the laconic vocals and tempo changes add an atmosphere of anguish. It’s intensity at work.
“In Your Pocket” sounds like a revival of the pop punk sound of retro America yet Technopolice hail from France and their guitar fuelled angularity is duly delivered with both bad attitude and better than average style.
Rock in the classic style hits our ears again with Hazel Gaze shoving in as much guitars and gravel into their song “Dirty Little Secrets” as they need to gain traction. There’s grit aplenty both in the singer’s voice and in the lyrics. No doubt about that.
And yet more retro synth sounds but this time from America and Arena duly does his best to remind us of the glorious days when every shopping mall had its own soundtrack. “What’s Your Damage” won’t hurt you at all.
Time for some more stylised retro with Lovatraxx sequencing their song “Träumen” with the kind of robotic precision that makes you rejoice at how eighties minimalist synth pop has metamorphosed into the coldwave of today.
“Eclipse” by French band Pythies features plenty of power chords in the best riot grrrl tradition and their three minutes of muscular musical mayhem manages to convince even me that such things can also be done with style. Play loud.
You can’t go far wrong with a Ruth Theodore song and “Hold On Me” is proof of that with intelligent lyrics and a suitably expansive arrangement reinforcing the song nicely. It’s like the heyday of female singer songwriters has returned. Praise be!
Facebook Twitter Album and single reviews RSS feed