UMK 2014: Wiwi Jury reviews Mikko Pohjola with Sängyn reunalla

Last night the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music unprofessionals—caught a RyanAir flight to Lappeenranta to review Mikko Pohjola’s #umk14 song “Sängyn reunalla”. That means “On the Edge of the Bed”. Did his voice make us want to test out the mattress? Or did it just keep us up at night? Read on to find out…

http://youtu.be/5YRy-Wjxnxc

Angus: Subtle, haunting and underplayed, this is a soothing, barely-there guitar piece. It’s a bit like Pernilla and Paradise combined together, and while that’s quite pleasant, especially when Mikko changes voices midway through, it’s just that. There isn’t really a wow moment.

Score: 6/10

Katie: I love “Sängyn Reunalla”! Mikko reminds me of Vance Joy and the song is something you’d quite easily hear in the charts if it were sung in English. But the Finnish language sounds lovely when he sings, so I like hearing it in Finnish. I’d hope it would do well in Copenhagen if it were sent, as it deserves a high placing!

Score: 10/10

Bogdan: Mikko is not as charming as Tom Dice, but the song is. “Sängyn Reunalla” is a bit like what I would have listened to back in 2010 (no, not Tom Dice; more like, Fleet Foxes), but still it’s clean and I’m curious as to what the lyrics say (“Sängyn Reunalla” means “on the edge of the bed”). However, I don’t think that I am bound to find out, because this song is not likely to represent Finland eventually. There are better options in the bunch.

Score: 7/10

Wiwi: ByeAlex surprised me at Eurovision 2013 when his stoned vibe took Hungary to a Top 10 finish. Mikko’s effort is almost as stoner and definitely as lovely, but it leaves me hungry. I don’t feel like I’ve gotten my fill. It’s not until 1:08 that Mikko gives us something different, and even then it’s only a brief flourish. We have to wait until 2:05 for a bit more dynamism, and by that point I’m ready for the next contestant. UMK is way to heavy on the lounge music this year.

Score: 5.5/10

Sami: I absolutely love it. Mikko has great voice and lots of charisma and I love the song so much. The lyrics are usually very important for me and I love lyrics of this song. I liked the demo version bit more, but the new version is great too and I love the intruments on that. This is my favourite from all of them and even though I know it doesn’t have a chance to win UMK, I hope we see it in the final.

Score: 10/10

Padraig: Mikko looks lovely, he sings beautifully and overall it’s a very pleasant 3 minutes. But that’s just it. The song is inoffensive, MOR and not in the slightest bit memorable. Now that’s all well and good if you’re trying to flog CDs for Mothers’ Day but for Eurovision a bit more oomph is required. I’m not calling for fireworks and crazy pyrotechnics but a little passion and emotion wouldn’t go astray. In all honesty the only way this song is making it to Copenhagen is if it’s played in a hotel foyer.

Score: 5/10

Deban: Mikho Pojola is one of Finland’s emerging heartthrobs. He branched into music to attract girls. He has a hit under his belt, and that’s what’s given him the confidence to enter UMK with this self-written composition. Lacking in originality, this song is basically ‘Me And My Guitar’ in Finnish. Unlike Tom Dice who took Belgium to the heights of the scoreboard in Oslo, this Finnish number doesn’t ooze—or even drip—the effortless simplicity of the former entry. Ironically, the mood the song generates befits the song title (It literally translates as- On The Edge Of The Bed- in English), making this song the perfect muscle relaxant.

Score: 4/10

Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.79/10

You can read our latest #umk2014 reviews and see the latest standings by clicking here. You can also keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team from wiwibloggs.com on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.