Song reviews

Clearly dedicated students of the hard rock playbook, Naked Sunday throw in all the necessary riffs and impassioned growls to make “Vilified” worthy of maximum volume replay with some unexpected melodrama mid song justifying that second listen.

Downbeat to the point of being laconic, Alejandra O’Leary duly maintains a straight and true course for the duration of “A Word About It”. It’s an earnest approach to take and one that supports her melancholic words well.

Bleak does seem to be the theme for songs of late and “Anything, Anymore” does not disappoint on that front yet there is something intoxicatingly cinematic about The Kundalini Genie’s swoop into the darkness that makes you want to join them on the journey.

The Filthy Tongues sound just like band would if they had forever played in the basements of life. “Underground City” duly injects guitars, world weary vocals and an overlay of mist and midnight to drag the song off towards the dawn.

Possessed of that curiously Glaswegian take on the indie pop style, Wojtek the Bear duly stamp some eloquence and elegance on their rather downbeat song “Second Place On Purpose” thus taking it out of the coffee shop and into the street. Nicely nice.

Kind of an old school rock ballad, “Caught in a Landslide” allows The Jix roll to like it is 1974 once again with the song taking it all the way to the bridge in a suitably melodramatic style. Naturally, there is also a guitar solo.

Playful to the point of encroaching into showtune territory, Ruth Theodore goes downtown of Broadway before making a sharp left into an alleyway full of witty and quirky lyrics. I’d spend my own money on a ticket to have her play with my ears.

Harmonies are the way of Girls Next Door with “Living In The Rain” with the supremely well-seasoned gospel sentiments of the song resonating far beyond its three minute runtime. Believe your ears even if you don’t believe.

A suitably muscular rock song, “What U Wanna” plays on a riff with all of the steroid fuelled consequences. Some might even say this song is best played loud and they would be right. Hell, it’s Friday night and you know it’s the right thing to do.

Super smooth sounds from Norway with Atari layering laidback female vocals, retro synth sounds and neo jazz rhythms into a sweet song called “Fujifilm”. It’s like the past has suddenly become the present again, but in a good way.

“Angeline” has the stamp of commerciality all over it with Liverpool’s Keyside holding a steady course all the way through the song. Some neat guitar work compliments the confident vocals and the result fits neatly into any mainstream playlist.

Alex Amor puts her finger on the pulse of today and turns it, once again, into song. “Cherry Blossom Boy” is slickly produced with the emphasis on perfect numbers yet you can’t really argue with her commercial instincts. Radio friendly.