Song reviews

“Just Air” makes me want to sigh. Mid paced with just enough woe locked into the lyrics to amplify the emotional intensity, this song highlights Rebecca McCartney’s sophisticated song writing abilities. Be still my heart.

I suppose “Harder to Breath” could be classified as indie pop but there is more in the way of shine here than you might expect of the genre. The intertwined vocals add sonic appeal but the song does ramble on a bit more than it should.

Dave Arcari applies his unmistakable blues style to that old Scottish favourite “Loch Lomond”. Its’ not his first offence for this sort of thing yet it’s hard to resist singing along as he turns up the sentiment and takes us down to the bonny banks once more. Quality.

A song like “Big Strong Man” would likely made any big city festival – remember them? – audience nod approvingly as they absorbed the mix of irony enhanced lyrics and jazzy musical inflections into their beard scratching foot tapping routine. Classy.

I was tempted to dismiss “Dreaming of Giants” as part of the trendy art rock revival but Mary Jennings has injected enough drama into her song to suggest that her true intention is to revive the days when songs could go big without selling out.

“The Hell Of It All” is pleasing to the ear with the dreamy wistfulness conjured up by Tessa Fleur casting enough of a spell to open a musical conduit from the troubled today to the more idealistic times of yesterday. It’s a cosmic thing.

Low key and downbeat in her approach, Josephine Philip nonetheless exudes enough class and literate sentiment to gift wrap “The Clue” and send it on to those who seek more than just plastic smiles in their Spotify playlists.

Blue collar superhero – well, he could be – Joe Normal simultaneously goes all piano mellow and manically ironic to take “Setbacks” all the way to the, hopefully Brooklyn, bridge. Throw in some fifties rock ‘n’ roll moves and you have a song that’s good enough for me.

Jessica Wilde keeps her song “Down To Earth” resolutely on the civilised side of the street with her classy club voice guaranteeing this mid paced urban groove VIP entrance to past midnight hangouts of the style cognoscenti. The champagne is on the table.

Robust in execution, Step By Step-Project tick all the mainstream rock radio style boxes with solid musicianship much to the fore. Seraina Telli’s in your face vocals provide enough colour and attitude to make “Listen” worthy of, wait for it, a listen.

They say that the Devil has all the best tunes and Altareth provide proof that the horned one isn’t into sharing. “Satan Hole” is, in truth, more overdriven grunge than doom metal but the short guitar solo compensates somewhat for the sledgehammer bleakness.

Synth pop has always had a special place in my heart and Katherine Aly digs up some old school sequencer moves for “Glow & Ignite” and tops them off with some sweet vocals and a girl next door attitude. She’s the maple syrup on my French toast.