Song competition: Bright House is shining example

HOLD the front page, or at least the entertainment section. Girl writes song about something. Gabrielle Wright s song The Bright House stands out from many of the songs we ve received so far in the way it takes such a definable subject, climate change

HOLD the front page, or at least the entertainment section. "Girl writes song about something."

Gabrielle Wright's song The Bright House stands out from many of the songs we've received so far in the way it takes such a definable subject, climate change and tackles it head on. Quite a topic, hey. You might think that by writing such a song she would be setting herself up to sound quite preachy and obvious. Well, it is with these fears in mind that I most appreciate Gabrielle's songwriting and performance.

The lyrics weave a dictionary of climate change buzz words and ideas into elegant, thought-provoking lyrics. The first lines set up the song perfectly:

"Fourteen thousand light bulbs in his house. Every single one is on, it never does go out. We're losing time and missing the signs, as temperatures and sea levels rise."

The song has a beautiful chorus and the arrangement with percussion, piano and her delicate guitar is great. At six minutes long, it's no snappy track, but the engaging words and a sense of progression through the song make me think I should redefine my vendetta against long songs.

It's unnecessarily long songs that frustrate me and it would be a shame if The Bright House lost a second of its running time.

CHRIS BOLAND