Song reviews

Now you’re talking. Simultaneously ridiculous and nearly drowning in irony. “Beyond Repair” takes you on a theatrical, almost camp, four and a half minute journey into a parallel world full of posh city festival audiences and quirky existentialism. Mad Meg are the bomb!

Not much gospel music this way comes. Yet, “Our God” by Ruth Campbell did and her song is, as you might expect, wholesome in content and, perhaps surprisingly, elegantly sung and easy on even these decidedly secular ears.

Jen Ash revs up her nineties’ style engine and takes her song “Crush On You” for a drive down to the kind of cool clubs where only the best people get in. The ghost of the dancefloor comes along for the ride but she is the one that takes control your ears.

Full of synthetic goodness, “Let Go Of Boredom” pumps itself up with strong vocals, loops and a solidly reverential approach to the art of song writing. You might be thinking nineties’ AM radio but I know the past is the present and this song is the proof.

Bouncy in that nineties’ pop way, The Tropicanas will bring a smile to the faces of many with “Piece by Piece”. Whilst being a lightweight and even sugary song, The Tropicanas have more than enough charm to pull their song off the shelf and put it into your heart.

Laidback and retro is the style path that Slow Cozy have chosen to follow and “Cool with Me” rolls just like Dope Lemon did before them. The result speaks for itself with the sequencer doing the necessary to keep the song resolutely on course.

Balancing bounce with offbeat charm isn’t an easy trick to pull off yet Tasche and the Psychedelic Roses can do it with their song “Hook” wooing me through the inspired use of grungy guitars, left field lyrics and a desirably quirky joie de vivre.

You can’t go far wrong with a bit of maturity and polish in your song writing and, indeed, Eva Rose doesn’t go far wrong with her song “Final Girl”. Blend in enough guitars to make an alt rock playlist with a voice that has radio friendly qualities and the result pleases.

Let’s face it. “Solstice” is four minutes of lyrical irony ironically delivered in a downbeat and deadpan Glasgow manner. I don’t know if Popup have every Lou Reed album in their collection but I can bet that the students who listen to this will have. C’est végétarien!

An honest example of Scottish styled indie pop, “Live For Today” holds a steady course for its four minute duration with enough in the way of bounce and assured vocals to make the journey worthwhile. It’s a Stillway thing.

Still setting fire to those guitar strings is Patrik Jansson and “Feel Bad Boogie” provides more than enough proof that the blues rock genre still has some life in it. The feel is right and this song also makes you want to drink beer. That works for me!

Elegant and eloquent as ever, Nadine Khouri stays on the classy side of the street with her song “Vertigo” and, with the subtle arrangement allowing plenty of space for her voice to cast its spell, your ears will soon become hers forever. I sigh again.