Song reviews

“Michael In The War” is a somewhat lackadaisical sort of anti-war song that falls short of actual protest. The primitive band in a box production does however hint at Apples in Stereo as an influence but the end result, in all honesty, sounds incomplete and a bit awkward.

Edgy and sitting upon the edge of indie rock territory, Cloneasaurus – as musicians anyway- sound more than a little uncertain throughout “Strongbad the Good dancer” which is at odds with the clearly confident male vocals. Give them a bit of time to mature. That’s what I say.

Making a reasonably convincing attempt at being soulful, Lloyd Glen struts his laconic stuff on “King On A Copper Throne” to decent effect. The words fit the mood but a bit more passion in the presentation would not have gone amiss.

Despite being but a one man and a laptop band, Aberdeen’s Sam Lumsden exceeds expectations with “Into the Light”. He sounds commercial but has more than enough edge to make a lady’s heart flutter. If this song is indicative of what we can expect from him, there is a clear and present danger that he could do decent festival business.

Modern day electro pop from Strangers. Whilst there is not much innovative to the music, you have to admire the emotive vocals courtesy of David Maddox-Jones and Eleanor Fletcher that make “Something New” something a bit special.

She’s Swedish so she is, perhaps unsurprisingly, retro but Josefin nonetheless impresses with a vocal performance that bears comparison with Annie Lennox. The rap interlude; however, seems a clumsy addition to a song that would otherwise sweep you straight on to the dance floor.

“Thickslap” is a rambling and untidy slice of lo-fi grunge rock from Cleveland’s Stalkers. Despite the technical flaws however, there is playfulness to the performance of the song that indicates that this band won’t be getting struck in someone else’s rut.

A rough and ready demo from an earnest Glasgow singer songwriter, “Rosė Wine” shows Stevie Lightnin’ to be free of those all too common Nick Drake staring at the ground influences. Instead he shows that he has a clear desire to entertain here and that, in itself, is quite refreshing.

There’s always a place in my heart for some oddball European electro and that’s what you get from Camilla Sparksss with the female non vocals and a simple sequenced beat providing proof that “Precious People” is borne of arthouse sensibilities. Andy Warhol would definitely have approved.

Immensely elegant - and therefore piano driven almost by default - “Walls Cave In” shows Berenice Scott to be a performer of class and some distinction. Whilst it is unlikely that she would ever sing a song that would scare your aunt, Ms Scott is nonetheless rewardingly soothing to the ears.

Flynn, judging from “Luv” at least, is a seriously lightweight acoustic duo with Kate Nash and candy floss prevalent amongst their influences. That said, they possess a certain unforced charm that might be just enough to allow them to stand out from the crowd.

Wistful seems to be the theme of the week and Bronagh and The Boys turn “Green” into an earnest and touching song that will tug at the heart strings of many.  Underneath that obvious commercial appeal however are some downright quirky lyrics that suggest that there may be a knife wielding poet hiding amongst Bronagh and her boys.