Song reviews

Old school and organic, Arsun walk the walk and talk the talk of the songwriter on the cusp of rock greatness with just enough country to get him (or them) a gig on the west coast. “Dead Sixty-Six” is a song that cries out for airplay in a top down Thunderbird.

Man of the Minch goes a bit country with “Undertow” yet he has not forgotten that it is all in the song. Throwing in a bit of fiddle reminds us that he has folk roots but, as I said but a few words ago, it is all in the song and this is a convincing song.

Infusing “Entrance” with hypnotic rhythms looped from the dancefloor, Anita Ramona drifts dreamily through her song like some mystical post midnight princess on a mission to make it to the dawn with her heart unbroken.

Pleasingly commercial, “Gunshot” is a fine example of the modern day pop song and it might well give Claire Ridgely the exposure she deserves. Sharp lyrics and rhythmic presentation put the song right into your memory.

Can’t say that I have any familiarity with the previous works of Alice Zawadski but “Within You” has, at the very least, made me curious. The song hits the seven minute mark yet the intelligent mix of elegance and poetic abstraction make the time just flow by.

Treading the electro retro path are Inbetween Movies and their song “Lava” duly evokes memories of days gone by. Wistful female vocals and old school analogue synth pretensions highlight the melancholy of past glories.

Throwing in enough Americana influences to tick the summer style boxes is Orbo with his song “Fine” nonetheless being the product of maturity and purpose rather than simply being just another advert for future roots festival bookings.

Putting traditional words to new music isn’t an uncommon occurrence but when such a thing is done with heart and soul, the results can be captivating and so it proved to be in the case of “The Maiden’s Vow” by Holly Tomás. Really rather beautiful.

Katherine Aly has a keen sense of the theatrical and she uses that to make her song “Sunny Days” stand out from the crowd and, with dramatic intent layered over her acidic lyrics, her appeal to musical cognoscenti must surely grow. Come to the cabaret.

With the pleasingly organic sound of the pipes to the fore, La Loba’s voice takes the traditional route through an ethereal world. A basic approach, undoubtedly, but an appealing one as she has the voice to make you believe in matters mystical.

At last a band with some attitude! Glossii keep it simple with their song “Watching Me” but you can’t go far wrong with throbbing drums, raucous guitars in maximum riff mode and in your face vocals. Play this one loud (as you might expect).

Endearing in a laidback way, St Martiins show their mastery of wistful intent as they stroll their song “My Girl” along the avenues of broken hearts and wounded pride. It’s the kind of song that will find its way on to many a mixtape.