Song reviews

Brooding to the point of being theatrical, Cristina Cherry uses her distinctive voice to lift the otherwise ordinary “Can You Be Mine?” to a higher level. You can tell that she wears sunglasses even at midnight. This is the deluxe meal deal.

Endearingly confident in execution, “Kolme Kesää” by Ocelot exudes the kind of smoke powered intensity that made songs stick in your head back in the days when songs were supposed to stick in your head. The piano makes it all work.

If you happen to be looking for some stylish synth pop then look no further than Sohodolls and their retro post-midnight credentials are further solidified by “Territory of Your Heart”. Once again, red lipstick and a sequencer make my day.

I don’t know if it is an insult to describe a band as sounding quite American when they’re not but Hamartia’s line in downbeat rock music indeed sounds like it has traversed the Atlantic. Lots of manly riffs and strong female vocals complete the illusion.

“Ghost” is a song of the heart and from the heart and, with a suitably dramatic sweep, Chloey Rose duly emotes the words as if haunted by the ghost of some long forgotten romantic poet beset by a broken relationship. Theatrically intense.

Misa Hourani does a nice line in earnest lyrics with “On My Own” resonating in all the best socially conscious places and even though the low key loops are powerful in this one they do not distract from her words.

On the pulse for highly polished yet socially aware mainstream music is Amy Papiransky and her song “Isabella” delivers her message with a veneer of the kind that the best session musicians possess. This one is destined for airplay everywhere.

If you are looking for a song that washes over you and leaves you clean once more then look no further than “I Keep Reaching For The Sun” by Gates Of Light. Brooding synths support the song while Louise Quinn’s voice casts the spell.

I hazard a guess that you won’t get the folk out of Lynda Moylan any time soon and “Irish Love song” is duly a story song that is both of the heart and with a heart. This song deserves to be taken with a drink and, of course, there’s a fiddle in it.

I like a bit of dream pop in the morning. Well, not really but there is something endearingly misty about “Five Year Plan” by Night Swimming and that is enough to make even the mainly cynical walk once more in fields of clover.

Heavily processed mainstream pop in the modern style from Miss Madeline, “Competition” is distinguished from the product of other pop princesses by the somewhat angular and attitude powered lyrics. A cool contender.

It seems like it has been a week for the wistful and introverted and Little Bit fits her song “Out To Dry” right into the potential playlist for that time period. Throw in some lo-fi murkiness and this one will take you right out of the coffee shop.