Broadcast 2025-08-18

This is a lovely, stripped back instrumental. What is needed and nothing more.

There is an infrequent vocal harmony backing Niksta, but, as with the instrumental line, they are the two hands which lift the vocal up so it can be heard.

Her notes describe her as having a “a quiet yet powerful presence” and this song shows that very precisely.

This song entices, it draws you in. The topic is the universal one, “searching for love.”

There’s a degree of imperative to this because “love takes time to grow.”

Is this the riskiest thing in a life? 

The singer feels stuck in this box, they have to assert I am worthy.

But with all of this she will keep searching for love in you.

Such deep words for a light melody. Extremely clever writing.


Niksta - Searching - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-18

This is a beautiful song about a terrible place to be, one we all dread.

What do you do when you find a friend that’s so far gone they can’t get back on their own? Not “you” in that general sense, it’s you, the involved, on the spot, now responsible person.

How on earth do you put that into a listenable song?

Canisha shows how, and it’s amazing and amazingly effective.

The song starts slowly, with a simple voice and piano introduction.

We hear some backing vocals.

Some more instruments, some bass, some drums, but the temptation to take it hard is resisted.

It’s not an anthem, it’s not about the world, it remains understated, it remains about you.

It’s not letting you drift off into the melody, there’s the occasional flattened note, an accidental, to keep you focused on the message.

The lyrics are delivered unusually evenly, is this the first time it’s happened?

The lyrics are simple, no flamboyant effects, and they are more powerful for that.

You said you were OK – it don’t feel alright

Not going to be the day you go down the drain
I will fight for you
I’m here to save you from yourself

This is a powerful song, with a haunting and powerful delivery.

It’s brilliant on every level.


Canisha - Save You From Yourself - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-18

Listening, I found myself tapping my feet while listening – not a good thing to be doing in the studio while recording a review, but irresistible.

The song lyrics themselves are intriguing. There are a couple of short verses, but the clear majority of the song is the phrase “fallin’ for you.”

That’s three words, what can you do with that?

Well, the answer is, quite a lot actually!

I can see the Fleetwood Mac and Rolling Stones influences, but instead of an instrumental lead, we have the vocal coming over the to with many variations of the melody and arrangement of those three words.

You can only get away with this if you have a strong and interesting voice.

Morgan’s definitely has such a voice. It’s clear, strong over her range and very expressive.

This is definitely an unusual approach, but it has worked well.


Morgan Joanel - Fallin' - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-18

This is a wonderfully clear and clean musical style. It’s not pretentious, but it’s not plain either.

That is a really difficult thing to achieve.

The less you have, the greater the demands to get a viable and vibrant musical outcome.

Run this back and have another listen. You can hear each instrument clearly, they are distinct and at the same time come together with that rare musical synergy.

That really is an achievement.

It’s interesting that this is a song about being in a place you left, and reminiscing, but it’s not about yearning. 

There is no such feeling coming through. It’s describing and appreciating that life, stating where you came from.

I love the line “But “Running On Empty” already been done.”

That was also a song looking back at life.

Very clever and very listenable.


Nathan May - Darwin Son - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-25

This song demonstrates exactly why being hemmed in by genre categories is so limiting.

I know people who would run screaming at the suggestion of a Hip Hop track, they don’t know what they’re missing.

So here’s what they are missing …

First up some very interesting and well played and produced music.

I admit I was surprised by the song opening with such a reggae beat, with a tuneful melody sung across that.

Stinga T’s verse is tight to that rhythm, with the occasional drag across two beats, but never losing sight of the rhythm.

The lyrics are cleverly written, using some well-chosen assonances to tie the rhyme to the rhythm.

The message in the song is direct, it’s about Australia, the things we can all value, and what yet needs to be done.

Australia beating the poms pure satisfaction
Spring into action come together don't forget the past
Let’s forgive close the gap brand new start

If that’s going to happen then there is a whole new attitude needed.

I’m from Australia down under that’s the land we claim
We them First Nations people that still remains
So if you don't understand well then you need to listen
You need to take in the answer and stop asking questions

This is an important message, packaged into great music. 


Tha Deadly Boyz - From The Island - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-25

Is there any one of us who can’t think of an incident that we really regret, and probably regretted it as it happened?

… and the rest of you are looking away.

In a review, I usually focus on the instrumentation and melody, and then bring it together , but I don’t think you can with this – it’s a package.

This is such a well written piece, and the music supports it, and the lyrics give meaning to the music, it all just comes together.

Emily has a wonderfully strong voice, she covers the whole range with apparent ease.

The production of this song has placed the voice exactly where it should be, not dominating, but sufficiently in front of the instrumental to be clear and understandable.

The message is instantly recognisable, and hits hard.


Emily Pritchard - Sorry Sam - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-25

Fuzz guitar and tight quirky drumbeats, now that’s a way to start a song.

Norman Greenbaum, except as a love song?

This is not about a spirit in the sky, it’s more mellow, suiting its theme.

There’s no doubting what that theme is – you’re adorable.

First, last, always.

It takes a couple of verses for the instrumental to vary and emit a lead over the lyrics.

I love the analogies …

Chelsea boots – but I know the song is more recent than the 60s, and here we wore Blundstone’s anyhow.

A velvet armchair, who does not have their favourite armchair?

This is not about world peace, but a world at peace.

Very clever, great music, lyrics and extremely well put together and produced.

It’s (dare I say) adorable.


Snarsky Circus Lindy Band - You're So Adorable - Tempo Review

Broadcast 2025-08-25

There’s no denying it, this really generates that strut feeling from the first bar.

For all that, there is no overbearing instrumental, an attempt to crash through and impose.

The feeling is not of crashing through, but of being unquestioned, undoubted, unchallenged.

“We’re looking good, we’re feeling fine.”

“I’ve been waiting on you all of my life!”

There is a reliance on percussion, more than once the song drops back to a simple, minimally adorned percussion, maintaining the rhythm between sections.

The bass emphasises the percussion, and the melody is taken by the remainder of the band.

Love and relationships are taken for granted.

The singer is the pivot that the world revolves around.

“We’re feeling fine.”

The royal “we” of course.


Lennon Wells - Baddie - Tempo Review

Weekly uploads of reviews and interviews from the program, "Tempo". "Tempo" is a weekly radio program presented by John Lamp, highlighting a wide range of music and music reviews on 94.7 the Pulse in Geelong, Wadawurrung country. John has been involved in community radio since 1976, initially with a music program "Parcel of Rogues" on 7CAE-FM in Hobart, Tasmania. After moving to Geelong, he joined 94.7 the Pulse on the program "Folks Alive", which morphed into "~meanderings~." John then spent a decade on the station Boards of Management before returning to the air in 2022 with his new program "Tempo." Full programs can be accessed at the link below.

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