Song reviews

“Numbers” sounds like a child of a dancefloor with the solid robotic beat certain to track the song straight into the better clubs. YME’s impassioned, if circuitous, vocals lift the song out of the digital abyss and put it right into your Mercedes.

Another song that will drift about inside your head, “Aelita” plays like a soundtrack to something spiritual and seems as deep as the proverbial well. No matter, for Virta clearly know what they are doing so into the song we duly dive.

Staying on the sly side of quirky are Malummi with their slick song “Bones” undoubtedly resonating resolutely with the beard scratchers of this world. It’s a time and place song that drifts forever in the right direction and I’m tripping in the smoke.

About as heavily processed as a song can get, “K9 (Wide Awake)” demonstrates the benefits of a long and winding effects chain but remember this is 2023 and Nadine Randle clearly knows what is expected of a singer destined for the mainstream.

Francis On My Mind tick all the right polished indie pop style boxes with their song “This Is My Time” and, unsurprisingly, that makes the three minute runtime pass pleasantly. There is mainstream appeal in there without a doubt.

There is always a place in my heart for a sentimental song and “Whiskey” by Jessica Woodlee is one such song with her indie singer songwriter moves scaling up to fill that metaphorical coffee shop with sweetness and warmth. Endearing with sugar on top.

Clearly dedicated students of the hard rock playbook, Naked Sunday throw in all the necessary riffs and impassioned growls to make “Vilified” worthy of maximum volume replay with some unexpected melodrama mid song justifying that second listen.

Downbeat to the point of being laconic, Alejandra O’Leary duly maintains a straight and true course for the duration of “A Word About It”. It’s an earnest approach to take and one that supports her melancholic words well.

Bleak does seem to be the theme for songs of late and “Anything, Anymore” does not disappoint on that front yet there is something intoxicatingly cinematic about The Kundalini Genie’s swoop into the darkness that makes you want to join them on the journey.

The Filthy Tongues sound just like band would if they had forever played in the basements of life. “Underground City” duly injects guitars, world weary vocals and an overlay of mist and midnight to drag the song off towards the dawn.

Possessed of that curiously Glaswegian take on the indie pop style, Wojtek the Bear duly stamp some eloquence and elegance on their rather downbeat song “Second Place On Purpose” thus taking it out of the coffee shop and into the street. Nicely nice.

Kind of an old school rock ballad, “Caught in a Landslide” allows The Jix roll to like it is 1974 once again with the song taking it all the way to the bridge in a suitably melodramatic style. Naturally, there is also a guitar solo.