Song reviews

Catholic Action take their song “Yr Old Dad” for a walk along the literate path stopping only to pick some Kinks coloured flowers from the trippy gardens at the side of the road. Make it so - as Jean Luc Picard might say – and duly they did.

Pleasingly poppy in their approach, Club Beirut keep it upbeat for their three minutes with their song “Something New” being rather more optimistic than you might expect of a Scottish band borne of these grey days. I feel a smile coming on.

I feel a sigh coming on for, with wistful intent, Life Model make you believe in the value of compromise with enough in the way of fuzzy guitars and sugar coating added to make their song “Saskia” very palatable to the ears.

OK, just think of the kind of brash and untidy song that would make your Gran wonder about the future of the human race and your addled brain might well come up with something like “Less Jools More Top of the Pops”. Slime City did just that. Bang!

Pleasingly poppy in a Postcard Records kind of way, “Love Bites” gives Blush Club the opportunity to show the world that Scottish bands still have what it takes when it comes to mixing melody with arthouse quirkiness.

Don’t know how long this song has been about but, no matter, for this is one that should be in everyone’s ears. “Lessons To Learn” has a message full of fractured insecurities yet Janet May has made it akin to an anthem for today.

The proof is in the pudding or so they say anyway. Wearing their power pop punk influences on their sleeve, High Waisted add enough sugar to their song “Boys Can’t Dance” to make it into a most suitable dessert. I’ll have seconds!

“I Think You’d Know By Now” keeps it on the downbeat for Dolly Zoom with the oppressive rhythms of the synthesiser and the casual pacing reinforcing the overwhelming feeling of urban angst that pervades this song.

Laying down some solid retro power punk moves are Welsh band Ignitemares and “Letters to Lauras” duly resonates with all that made such things great whilst having enough in the way of pithy lyrics to make it into something of a story song.

Raucous and right to the point, We Three Kings crank up the riffs to kick their song “S’Alright” straight out of the park and into the streets from whence it came. Play loud, drink beer and sing along. It’s alright.

Slye dives deep into the retro influence pool and emerges with enough in the way of emotional sincerity, loops and sequenced moves to make “Into Colour” into the kind of song that might take you from dancefloor to morning.

Pulsating with the oppressive beats borne of urban decay, “Spread Out” is about as clearly focused song as you might get in these troubled days with BYSTS bringing the walls in on themselves and us. Anarchy will be upon as all soon.