Song reviews

Curiously spacious to the point of emptiness (ha!), “2Sides” seems more or less urban but the minimalist style demonstrates that the mechanism of repetition and precipitous processing can evoke something that is more atmospheric than you might expect.

That Nashville sound pervades “She’s Not me” with Kirsten Kae giving it all she can to turn this into the kind of radio friendly song to make pickup trucks bounce up and down at the traffic lights of life. Polished it is, as such songs always are.

Americana in style and reticent in approach, Forty Elephant Gang move their song “Songs of Praise” backwards in time to the days of the hangman’s noose. Redemption is the direction and the guitar is the signpost. You could worse that follow those chords.

I like the sound of a death metal band ticking all the expected style boxes in the morning. It smells like a videogame soundtrack to me. Riffing and rasping all the way, TreyHarsh put “Agoraphobic” on to the train and give it full steam ahead.

The dense production adds an oppressive atmosphere to “On The Rocks” and it is a much darker song than might be expected of the usually blinged to the max urban genre although, ultimately, it is Andrea Godin’s voice that leads Starkillers towards redemption.

Some songs seem designed to make you sigh and “I Won’t Change My Mind” is one such song with Remington Super 60 liberally seasoning their song with all that is wistful. Endearing female vocals carry the song forward into your heart.

Many might think that the events of 2020 would have put an end to the very idea of a Christmas song but no for, with her customary literacy and restrained sentimentality, Sofia Talvik skilfully turns her song “The Mess We’re In” into a message of hope.

A low key song with a delicate flute intro, “October Air” aims not to impress the charts but instead to give you something to drift off to sleep with. Mike Brunacini has enough retro keys to unlock the past and I think his intent is rather more spiritual than secular.

“So Far From Home” has an indie meets stoner rock groove and Bun rolls his song along the highway of life with a greater sense of purpose than most can manage. You can’t go far wrong with a guitar leading the way and duly it was so.

There is still mileage in minimalism with Omonoko neatly weaving a simple message into the strands of locked to the loop repetition that make up “Weight In Gold”. The end result is a song with hypnotic qualities and easy on the ear appeal.

It wouldn’t take much effort to figure out that Marie Naffah is a singer songwriter from London and her song “Gabriel” is therefore, unsurprisingly, literate and piano driven. If melancholy is your thing then this one is for you.

From Croatia, two man rock band Mechanical break out the beats and riffs to add weight to their song “Fluorescent Black”. It’s a straight down the white line rock cruncher that would go down well with beer. I know because I tried it.