Oh Casa Nova (Nova...Nova...Nova)
Dear Reader(s?),
Please excuse my absence of late - Camp Carlytime has relocated and is currently not connected to the Information Super Highway. I know it's a disaster, but thankfully I have other portals at my disposal.
Basically, I chose one of the worst weekends in the eurocalendar to relocate my lair. I have finally gotten around to updating the video bar with entries from Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia, Azerbaijan. Even this far into the selection season, amazingly we still don't have a truly awful song in the contest. Israel has unfortunately gone all-out on cynicism, with a mid-tempo 'let's all join hands together around the world' pop song that doesn't do justice to the calibre of the two singers. The Croatian song is very traditional in style and although it is generally pleasant I fear they're a little off the money this year with a male soloist whose live singing isn't up to it. Latvia has put forward a lot of old rope in the last few years, with 'Pirates of the Sea' marking the nadir. This year's song is a kind of alternative rock-pop number and I quite like it, though I can't yet work out if there is supposed to be a comedic element to it. The lead singer's antics suggest so but the b/w images in the background of the live performance hint strongly in the opposite direction... I'm a little wary of Azerbaijan as I think they will do much better than warranted in the contest. The song is only just alright, in that it will probably be delivered quite well, but it is totally unoriginal. However, I am rather tickled by the current video clip showing Martine-McCutcheon-a-like AySel stomping round Baku, kicking things in the studio and stubbing out cigarettes with a butter-wouldn't-melt expression. She's trouble. By the sounds of some of the web reporting, Spain's Soraya is feeling very confident of success in Moscow. I have to disagree, but I am pleased to see this polished - yet not ground-breaking in any way - pop song go to the final. Looking over the Big 4 for this year, I think we've got the best line-up the contest has enjoyed for a while. Back in alt-rock territory, Bosnia have come good again this year with their song from U2-inspired Regina. The song is rather reminiscent of San Marino's song in 2008, but with much more prominent folk influences. I don't think they'll out-do Laka, but it's a good demonstration that a quiet and dignified internal selection really can be the way to go. Finally, Portugal. I caught some of the excitement about Flor-de-Lis in the lead-up to the national selection, and I can whole-heartedly say that I am delighted with this song. On the back of Senhora do Mar, this is a real return from the wilderness from a country that has really struggled since the introduction of the semifinals. A beautifully-performed, melodic folk-pop song, this deserves voting attention in Moscow and may get a decent backing from the juries.
Finally, a short word on the Swedish national selection juggernaut that is Melodifestivalen. Words cannot express my love for this show. However, I recently gathered with London Swedes and Eurofans to watch the live stream of MF Semifinal 3 and its pretty shocking outcome. One of the shocks of the evening was the failure of MF favourites BWO to qualify straight to the final - instead, they progress to the Andra Chansen('Second Chance') round this Saturday 7th March. As we know, no song has ever come from Andra Chansen to win the contest. However, with the recent release of the video for BWO's You're Not Alone, there may be hope. Someone wrote on another fan site that this song is a real grower, and perhaps it was this that kept it down in the semifinal but will see it qualify comfortably this Saturday. I really hope so, as on further listens I have come to believe that You're Not Alone is truly a work of pop genius. The whole feel of it really reminds me of a song called Obsession, which came from Alexander Bard's former project, Army of Lovers. Spectacular, soaring, camp as you like (check out the spoken bit toward the end - ideal), I would be thrilled to see BWO make it to Moscow in 2009.
Please excuse my absence of late - Camp Carlytime has relocated and is currently not connected to the Information Super Highway. I know it's a disaster, but thankfully I have other portals at my disposal.
Basically, I chose one of the worst weekends in the eurocalendar to relocate my lair. I have finally gotten around to updating the video bar with entries from Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia, Azerbaijan. Even this far into the selection season, amazingly we still don't have a truly awful song in the contest. Israel has unfortunately gone all-out on cynicism, with a mid-tempo 'let's all join hands together around the world' pop song that doesn't do justice to the calibre of the two singers. The Croatian song is very traditional in style and although it is generally pleasant I fear they're a little off the money this year with a male soloist whose live singing isn't up to it. Latvia has put forward a lot of old rope in the last few years, with 'Pirates of the Sea' marking the nadir. This year's song is a kind of alternative rock-pop number and I quite like it, though I can't yet work out if there is supposed to be a comedic element to it. The lead singer's antics suggest so but the b/w images in the background of the live performance hint strongly in the opposite direction... I'm a little wary of Azerbaijan as I think they will do much better than warranted in the contest. The song is only just alright, in that it will probably be delivered quite well, but it is totally unoriginal. However, I am rather tickled by the current video clip showing Martine-McCutcheon-a-like AySel stomping round Baku, kicking things in the studio and stubbing out cigarettes with a butter-wouldn't-melt expression. She's trouble. By the sounds of some of the web reporting, Spain's Soraya is feeling very confident of success in Moscow. I have to disagree, but I am pleased to see this polished - yet not ground-breaking in any way - pop song go to the final. Looking over the Big 4 for this year, I think we've got the best line-up the contest has enjoyed for a while. Back in alt-rock territory, Bosnia have come good again this year with their song from U2-inspired Regina. The song is rather reminiscent of San Marino's song in 2008, but with much more prominent folk influences. I don't think they'll out-do Laka, but it's a good demonstration that a quiet and dignified internal selection really can be the way to go. Finally, Portugal. I caught some of the excitement about Flor-de-Lis in the lead-up to the national selection, and I can whole-heartedly say that I am delighted with this song. On the back of Senhora do Mar, this is a real return from the wilderness from a country that has really struggled since the introduction of the semifinals. A beautifully-performed, melodic folk-pop song, this deserves voting attention in Moscow and may get a decent backing from the juries.
Finally, a short word on the Swedish national selection juggernaut that is Melodifestivalen. Words cannot express my love for this show. However, I recently gathered with London Swedes and Eurofans to watch the live stream of MF Semifinal 3 and its pretty shocking outcome. One of the shocks of the evening was the failure of MF favourites BWO to qualify straight to the final - instead, they progress to the Andra Chansen('Second Chance') round this Saturday 7th March. As we know, no song has ever come from Andra Chansen to win the contest. However, with the recent release of the video for BWO's You're Not Alone, there may be hope. Someone wrote on another fan site that this song is a real grower, and perhaps it was this that kept it down in the semifinal but will see it qualify comfortably this Saturday. I really hope so, as on further listens I have come to believe that You're Not Alone is truly a work of pop genius. The whole feel of it really reminds me of a song called Obsession, which came from Alexander Bard's former project, Army of Lovers. Spectacular, soaring, camp as you like (check out the spoken bit toward the end - ideal), I would be thrilled to see BWO make it to Moscow in 2009.
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