FINLAND DECIDES 2012: UMK SHOW 4
Aili and The Spyro were eliminated in tonight’s Finnish semifinal. The Spyro was the wild card selected by the viewers. It will be interesting to see whether there will be a discussion afterwards as the jury neglected the viewer’s choice.
Nine entries performed live in club D.O.M in Helsinki. Based on their performances the jury selected seven entries for next Friday, when one more song will be eliminated. The last one to qualify was Freeman but it was discussions and disagreements within the jury whether this band or Aili should go through. In the end Freeman won.
The seven qualifyers are:
1) Kaisa Vala: ”Habits of Human Beings”.
2) Mica Ikonen: “Antaa mennä”.
3) Freeman & Uusi Fantasia: “Noitanainen”.
4) Iconcrash: “We are the night”.
5) Pernilla Karlsson: “När jag blundar”
6) Ville Eetvartti: “Lasikaupunki”
7) Stig: “Laululeija”
Here are some personal reviews of the performances and the songs (in running order):
1) Kaisa Vala: ”Habits of Human Beings”
Good chorus with some burlesque influences and a touch of Scissors Sisters.
2) Mica Ikonen: “Antaa mennä”.
Mica and his band seem to feel very comfortable and happy on stage enjoying every minute. Good pop-song with some west-coast influences. My personal favorite in the contest.
3) Aila: “Mun taivas”
Aila has a good song, good voice and I appreciate the banjo and pump organ very much. She needs some more stage experiences.
4) Freeman & Uusi Fantasia: “Noitanainen”.
A mix of disco and symphony rock – maybe because they brought in a violin player on stage. The song includes one of the few (or maybe the only) modulation in the Finnish contest.
5) Iconcrash: “We are the night”.
A kind of updated glam-rock. The song is OK but the lead singer is too weak and some more charisma is needed – it is not enough to wear an outfit with feathers.
6) Pernilla Andersson: “När jag blundar”
Stylish, plain and sensitive. The only song in Swedish. It’s a tribute to the mother of Pernilla. Her brother is the composer and plays the cello on stage.
7) Ville Eetvartti: “Lasikaupunki”
Modern contemporary pop and the song improved a lot to me after the live performance. In English it would be even better. Ville has a good voice.
8) Stig: “Laululeija”
If Finnish reggae exists as a genre I suppose it is Stig. The performance is nerdy but the song is like glue and sticks into one’s head.
9) The Spyro: “Teleport My Heart”
A rock song with some more indie influences according to the band. The Spyro is a live band with stage experiences. A Finnish final without a rock tune is out of question. Personally I would have preferred The Spyro instead of Iconcrash.
In the final on Saturday six songs will compete about the ticket to Baku.
