Lisbon calling Dublin and Jerusalem

Country: Ireland

Performer: Dervish

Song: They can't stop the spring

Music by: John Waters, Tommy Moran

Lyrics by: John Waters, Tommy Moran

Review: The Irish have their own recipe regarding Eurovision, they either send a ballad or a celtic song, considering they won 7 times we could say that this is indeed a very good recipe.

However if we look at their most recent scores they haven't havent been doing all that well.

This year they went for the celtic theme, choosing Dervish to sing for them and later deciding that the song would be the poetically entitled They can't stop the spring. So far so good, why shouldn't it work again this year?

I'm not so shure that it will work, altough this is a very gentle song but Dervish lead singer Cathy Jordan has a very particular voice that doesnt sound all that atractive to me. Beside that during her national final she seemed to be singing a bit out of tune (maybe there were just high notes) and displayed the appeal of a dead cat on stage.

Also, the song itself might be a problem. One of the irish commentators said he didn't like any of the songs they had to choose from! Even if They can't stop the spring is a nice song it really doesn't have that special something that could catch the viewers eyes, hears and hearts.

***

Country: Israel

Perfomers: Teapacks

Song: Push the button
Music by: Kobi Oz

Lyrics by: Kobi Oz

Review: After two ballads Israel is going to Helsinki this year with a more modern song. Push the button by the all male group Teapacks is a song about the need for peace and the dangers of war! How apropiate for a country that just last summer went to war with one of their neighbours.

But enough politics this is a song contest and considering just that this is not a bad song at all, I think it has some good chances in Eurovision. It has that touch of Wadde wadde dudde da? and We are the winners two succesfull songs in the history of the contest.

Personnaly it's not one of my favourite songs this year. They also drawed the number 2 slot in the semi-final, bad luck!

This is a different song, but it will be different in the right way?