If I only had time

Dublin songwriter Paul Nash from the band Rainbow Chaser has delivered a demo of his own songs which he calls Fireflies And Rainbows. Unfortunately there are fourteen songs on the CD and I have a life. So, as most people I know would have done, I listened to the first three tracks only.

'Firefly By Night' is well put together with an inventive baroque feel from the keyboards, but it fails to do what a demo should do in that the song suffocates under the arrangement, so the lyrics and melody are not as clear as they should be. 'On The Line' has a synth-pop approach but Nash's voice again gets lost, especially in the lower register. 'Don't Just Count The Clouds' repeats the same problem with a song that has a nice commercial feel to it.

Paul would have been better advised to have selected his three best songs and used a sparser musical background and some vocal overdubs to boost his limited vocal range. He's a dab hand on the arrangements front, but I couldn't really hear the songs, thereby defeating the purpose of the exercise. As has been said time and time again (sorry, Paul, but you weren't paying attention) you don't need a tricksy arrangement or a posh production to demo a song. One decent voice and one proficient instrumentalist are enough to sell any first-rate song. And anyone in the music business with the time to listen to fourteen songs on one demo will be looking for a new job shortly.

From Clonakilty in County Cork hail a tasty little rock four-piece calling themselves 37, for reasons they don't explain. Their three-track CD demo offers a neat melange of tuneful guitar rock, grunge-lite and a respectable nod towards the more credible end of the pop charts. They've already turned down a development deal with an independent record company, so there.

Being together since 1994 has allowed them time to develop confidence and they've obviously learned that the kitchen sink is usually best left where it is. 'No Conversation' has a naggingly attractive guitar riff, a catchy chorus with harmonies and a squalling guitar solo, although I'd like to hear the lead voice less shy in the mix. The slow and mournful 'What If?' starts off a bit dodgy with a ragged acoustic guitar sound and less than inspiring vocals, but when the band kicks in it heads towards that magic pop-rock land inhabited by the Stereophonics and others.

'Crazy Man' packs a punch and gets its retaliation in first. Again the voice could be louder, but 37 are a band worth keeping an ear out for, although they need to work harder on making their songs totally irresistible.

For some strange reason, my daily demo diet unhealthily features mainly guitar-based rock bands, folk-rockers and pop songwriters, so it's a relief when a classy tape by an Irish hip-hop act like Tony K arrives.

The worldwide success of Eminem has upped the ante for white rappers, but in contrast to Mr Mathers, Tony K is a more polished beast, less at war with the world. 'Tru My Eyes' alternates straight rap sections from Tony himself with attractive cutesie-pie female vocals for a slowie that deserves to fill both floors and charts. But 'What's My Name' prompts too many comparisons with the far more dangerous Slim Shady. Its boastful self-obsession is lyrically quite pathetic, although it has a funky beat and smart guitars guaranteed to shift a toe or two.

'Summertime Vibe', with a slinky bass and infectious laid-back beat, is a real gem, with great vocals from that girl again. One thing puzzles me, though. Assuming that Tony K is from Dublin, what's all this guff about homies and stuff? If Tony turned his lyrical skills to depicting aspects of the world around him, rather than regurgitating second-hand elements from the USA, he'd could be something truly original. So will the real Tony K please stand up? That said, he brings a breath of fresh something to these ears.

The Community Trolls from Limerick are one of the few bands in the world with a vocalist called Elvis who comes from Mauritius. As a musicianly ensemble they cut the mustard, but their songs need patience and time to digest. 'Ancestors', for example, initially seems like it just goes on and on, yet it's only three minutes long and only starts to work the third or fourth time you hear it. 'City Lights' is a little spoiled by Elvis from Mauritius introducing a Chris de Burgh/Demis Roussos quiver into his voice and 'Part Of Me' brings Michael Stipe to mind, but both reward repeated hearings.

The Community Trolls have earned more than a few brownie points on the gigging front but that magic hasn't quite translated onto record. Maybe it will one day.