Song reviews

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.

It’s funny when you think of it. Bring Me The Hearts are a band from dear old England yet they do that super smooth west coast (of America) FM rock sound just like it should be done with sonorous female vocals and that mellow feel making me think of sunshine and sand.

Edgy to the point of being jumpy, Little Destroyer bang things together in the pursuit of passion, or at least the expression thereof, and sum it all up in three minutes or so. Call it “sucker4u” or call it a blunt object. It’s your ears.

There’s enough indie in Somebody’s Child’s song “Broken Record” to make you go all sentimental for those good old days when the song meant everything. Cian Godfrey has the voice to carry it off though and you will want to hear the song again. True.

Synthesiser powered introspection is almost fashionable these days and Marek Kubala duly tracks layers of sequenced intensity into his song “Godspeed”. This isn’t one for a pub singalong but, if downbeat is your thing, add it to your playlist.

Ah, the voice of the computer as seen from the corner cubicle of a coffee shop with the processed emotions resonating within “Running in Circles” neatly illustrating that Pony Girl are a product of our times. Just listen and all will become dark.