In theory, Armenia's slow release tactic for the gradual unveiling of the Depi Evratesil songs could have been a classy move. The day-by-day declarations could, in the right hands, have added quite some tension and excitement to proceedings - had the songs actually been any good. But each new day engendered further disappointment, as act after act offered up some reasonably underwhelming offerings.
Hot favourite Asmik started brightly, but swiftly turned the clock back to TOTP 1994 for a good old Alex party, Arman smouldered, but failed to take the Coldplay stickers off his slowed down chorus, and even the generally reliable Kamil reduced the promise of some astounding tomfoolery to get another post-Despacito reggaeton plodthrough - albeit with more hooty shouting that usual. So thank heavens for the fabulous Gata Band, who are mashing up the styles like some shipwrecked castaway who can only play the records that get washed up on the beach after a plane crash.
Kicking off with some pleasingly earthy folk vocals, when the music finally drops it brings in a quite unexpected low slung West Coast hop hop electronic bassline to the rustics, and just as you're about to get bored of the spectacle kicks, the tooty horn punctuates its farmyard groove, before goes all proggy and starts messing with the beat signatures. This isn't a song, it's a shopping list for a blasting night out in old Vagharshapat. This clearly won't pick up too much love among the rank and file of Eurovision fandom, but it's going to be stuck on our internal jukebox for the rest of the month at least. If I don't keep tripping over the beats, that is.
I thought that I was just about to get a blast of Fratton Park there or is that I always hear 'Portsmouth' by Mike Oldfield in all these folk tunes?
ReplyDeleteNot keen on the solo pieces but the ethnic/modern mix in the chorus is superb - all very interesting and good to have a totally Armenian entry in the mix...