Without hope or agenda – Just because it’s Christmas – And at Christmas you tell the truth – here are five 100 word reviews just for you. Enjoy.

Dadcore

Mozes and the Firstborn

D A D C O R E; from the LP Dadcore. They’ve got this optimistic grungy energy, and this tune has some very nice chord progression.

I wish it wasn’t so echoey – I dislike it when acts try and recreate their live performance in what is clearly a studio environment. It gives it a gimmicky feel. They’re a Dutch band singing in English so maybe they’re giving fans who won’t travel a taster.

Its cool song though, production aside – Give the rest of their LP a listen In early 2019. Weezer fans will like.

Four Walls

Rob Jarvis and the Mercury sons

What a set of lungs this lad has! A stripped down performance and a mournful song need masterful guitar playing and a voice to accompany it and this guy has both.

One problem I do get with the music video version of this song is that it gets lost between that cracker of a chorus, which is a shame. (Although this is amended in a later recording.)

While this song was written and recorded in the UK, and caught the attention of producers.

This led to Jarvis spending stints in Nashville over an 18 month period – writing with the likes of Daughtry, Aerosmith, Hollywood Vampires, Bob Seger, and more.

He’ll be back with more, don’t any of you worry.

Harry and Bart

Liquid Bear

At first I thought these guys reminded me of My Morning Jacket, with a dreamy intro but then the chorus hit and they brought White Lies or Muse energy and banging guitar solos.

The song itself is fantastic and it answers the question – where have all the rock bands gone? But I think the lyrics could be stronger.

I love that the video for this really rocking single was clearly just shot in one of their apartments, I was expecting their mammy to come in and offer tea at any moment.

This begs the question – what happens when they’re polished?

The Unknown

Rosie Turton

I’m one of these plebs who doesn’t know how to review Jazz; I don’t know what to listen out for or what people’s intentions are when making it. I do know I like this song though, and I wanted to include it here.

The build-up of tension at the beginning of the song with the steel drums guitar and brass and piano are very effective and has a wonderful payoff.

But the layering on this song and composition work so well and the chord progression is beautiful and I could listen to it all day.

Papier-Mache

Michael Jablonka

Papier-Mache is hopefully a sign of things to come from Michael Jablonka. The energy this guy brings to this track is palpable.

It feels like it will be a great one to dance to. I absolutely want to see this guy performing live; a crowd bouncing with this would be an experience to remember.

This guy has a lot of potential. It feels like the start of something wonderful – let’s hope he can get the audience he needs. Definitely look out for this guy.