Song reviews

Sentimental almost to fault in their lyrics, Carterband take a walk down the yellow brick road to the indie version of the Emerald City and bring back their song “Calling Any More” as a reward. A saxophone adds melancholy on the journey. A happy ending indeed.

Full of post C86 jingle jangle strum that guitar energy, The Muldoons float their song “Audacity” above their, often depressing, contemporaries with polished ease. We’ve been here before but you can’t deny the twee charm that this band possess.

“Borders” is a song that exudes traditional folk influences with Jemima Thewes adding a dash of the mystical to further render it timeless. Her voice has a strength that belies the fragile poetry of her storytelling and I duly hear the moon rising.

Power pop lives on in Norway with Pogo Pops – long-time practitioners of the art taking it to the well-constructed bridge – delivering another sub 4 minute sonic confection that will plaster itself all over your mind. Hear “Maybe It Was Just a Dream” and there will be kittens everywhere.

Properly targeted at the arthouse crowd, Baby Fire spin a web made of mystical wistfulness and wrap it around their song “A Spell”. The shadows provide the harmonies and the atmospheric result is curiously enchanting and appealing to the ear.

“You’re The Same As Me” feels like it should be a country song but going down the pedal steel road clearly isn’t the Boo Sutcliffe way. The duelling male and female voices easily overpower the nearby electronica and take the song back to the irony of real life.

You can’t go wrong with a slice of mainstream rock pie and “Little High Little Low” is just that with The Royal Foundry icing the cake with all the favourites such as harmonies, melodies and a good old fashioned chorus. Sing along if you want to. I did.

I should be offended by the synthetic commercialism that powers “Hush Hush” but I can’t deny the finger on the pulse style sensibilities that Miyavi brings to this song – and his other songs too for that matter – with the guitar solo being an inspired touch. I love guitar solos.

There is more than enough emotional drama in the lyrics to “The Game” to last all the way through the song’s 216 seconds duration with the electronic accompaniment providing sufficient stylistic familiarity to hold the attention of the smarter cappuccino drinkers.

Talking a stroll down the road of hypnotic repetition is Celestial North with her destination being the emerald city of mystical folk music. Her voice illustrates her intent whilst her robotic companions on “When The Gods Dance” stay firmly locked in the loop.

Looping and sequencing her way through the dystopian urban nightmare that is reality, NAVA – in capitals, of course – sharpens her song “Gaz” to a point with a side order of diamond edged lyrics until a sea of effects finally shows her the door.

There are songs that sound like they were washed ashore on the sunny beaches adjoining the Pacific ocean. “Hold My Hand” is one such song and Maggie Gently adds a dash of guitars to her melodious mix to further multiply the mall appeal.