Song reviews

“Finally” is as conventional as a song can get with Eileen Carey playing it straight all the way down to the three minute line. In the background, synths vie for domination with rock guitars and a pedal steel but it is her voice that wins.

If a song could ever be described as laconic then it would be this one with Teeniest – a duo from New York – topping up “Set Me Up Boys” with enough Americana to win the broken heart of any barfly whether north or south of the Mason-Dixon line

Methinks people are likely to fall hook line and sinker in love with “Ya Ya Ya Ya” as Melting Mallows have thrown in enough retro riffs, good old fashioned hooks and melody to encourage you to join in on the chorus. Play it again, Sam!

The greatest blue collar band ever hit out at the hypocrisy of the world that we live in and light a fire under mediocrity with their song “Fetching Pitchfork”. Some might think that the Girobabies have gone a bit mellow but their knife remains forever sharp.

Those who seek the offbeat will find much to enjoy within the dramatic confines of “Still Good” as Tyra Jutai stomps her distinctly independent views into the lyrics of her song. It is good to hear someone who still has fire in their belly.

You can’t go wrong mixing wistful melancholy with guitars and a bucketful of reverb so it is no surprise that “Frederick The Younger” hit the mark with their song “Something Real” and duly make you believe that there will be a better tomorrow.

In truth, there’s not much to “Nice To Have a Break” yet Honey Mooncie, in her own low key and laidback way, turns her song into something that simply entrances your ears. It might just be the time of year but I feel quite sentimental about this song.

With sequenced insistence, Catholic Action steadily turn their song “People Don’t Protest Enough” into a subtly ironic soundtrack to our times with enough seventies Chinn Chapman factory influences to give the song pop appeal. Magic!

A fine example of the hybridisation of robotic precision with cross cultural passion, “Divane” proves to be the kind of hypnotic song that both trendsetters and traditionalists would enjoy. KasbaH makes it all happen.

Very much in the traditional singer songwriter vein, Graham Norwood swiftly moves his song “Collapses To Zero” far into mellow territory with enough in the way of country and folk seasoning to make him very acceptable to mature ears.

Balancing a sharp edged guitar with a wistful female voice is not an easy task yet Claire Pitt Wigmore pulls it off with her song “Intoxicated Girl”. The song itself is laidback in pace and seasoned heavily with melancholy yet the end result is uplifting.

“One Last Embrace” rumbles with nefarious intent as Eliza Shaddad grinds the power chords and insistent percussion into something she can sprinkle in the spaces between her words of angst and regret. I hear her!