Song reviews

This one definitely counts as quirky with “Old Beliefs” merging oblique lyrics into a stripped back retro retake of old school electro street beats. Shiny Brainy Crayons clearly aren’t going with the flow with this song and I like that.

I don’t know if there is a such a thing as a Pacific highway song but, if there is, “Good Times” by Australian band Joan & The Giants would be a fine example of music that has to be listened to with the top down and sun in your eyes.

You can’t go far wrong overdosing on brooding synthesiser riffs and bleak, reverb laden, vocals and Poison Point duly sets his sequencer on stun and shoots up the shadows like a man who only wears black would do. Hypnotic, nonetheless.

Angst powers “Practical Magic” and drives the song onwards on the journey to your inner ear and possibly your inner self. Literate lyrics always help to make the time pass easily and Her Skin has those too and is therefore judged worthy.

“Don’t Get Sad” by The Kowloons is undoubtedly a robust song in the best indie rock tradition with much in the way of strident guitars and thudding drums to take it to the proverbial bridge. I liked it even more after the third beer.

Some might call the song quirky but, when you get charm and complexity combined as is the case with “Bloody White Horses” by Grandios Sensibel, your ears will surely take you on to a better place. I feel a sigh coming on.

Keeping on their retro power pop track, Bony Macaroni riff their way through their three minutes of nihilism just like it was 1995. It is the kind of song that makes you want to set fire to a shopping mall so play loud and burn!

“Feel The Weight” by Kilgour is indeed a song with weight with many kilos of guitars keeping this Glasgow band on track over their three and a half minutes of emotional neo catharsis. I’ll take substance over style any day.

Never thought I would get to review a James King and The Lonewolves song yet along came “My Queen Has Lost Her Crown”. It might not be a Texas lullaby but they still sound just like they did back in the day. Fans will no doubt rejoice.

I do actually remember the Hedrons and, in a sure and certain case of you can’t keep a good band down, “Only When It Rains” rocks with the same attitude that the band had when the guitar was God in Glasgow. Praise be!

Mellow is as mellow does and, in the best indie pop tradition, Wojtek The Bear emote their way through “Slowly, Then All At Once” as if ordering the last cappuccino in the world with the chorus and a bit of fiddle adding the essential foam.

I am of the opinion that I should know who Billy Reeves is but, no matter, for “Soapbox!” is powered by enough retro synth pop minimalism and repetitive ranting to make you wish it was the past again. Beep beep boom.