BY GUEST CONTRIBUTOR LADY MCSHANE
Rainmusic, a musical collaboration of several local musicians, bring us our first song of this final batch. Steal Your Heart Away, is an uplifting love song. Musically it’s an anthemic number which brings to mind the 70s rock classic, More Than a Feeling, by Boston – which is a pretty impressive act to follow if you ask me. Good job, Rainmusic!
Next up, Mike Anderson, brings us an enigmatic song, Run (You Can’t Hide) which leaves us to make our own interpretation of its lyrics. Personally I’m hearing fears about the future, climate change, perhaps the reality of not being able to fix everything about ourselves such as our mental health, and perhaps the fear that with all the convenience of the modern world, we’re getting further and further from what we as humans really need?
After all that unease, immerse yourself in a slice of post-punk from Careful Spider. Building on the momentum of their impressive performance last year, when they reached the live grand final of the contest, Careful Spider return with the anxious and moody Waves Keep Falling. Its really quirky guitar solo contrasts its sparse emptier moments nicely. So that’s why they describe themselves as ‘the house band at Stroud Psych Night’!
Lastly, rounding off this year’s entries, we relax into the fresh air and calm of Sarah Honeychurch‘s Rodborough Common. Backed by strings and birdsong, this sweet ode to one of the best-loved parts of town will resonate with many of us who find calm and solace on the common. Also one of last year’s finalists, Sarah has a loyal following of fans and we’re sure she will find many new ones with the charm of this unconventional love song.