Wiwi Jury Swiss Edition: Andy McSean with “Hey Now”

Earlier today the Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — continued our tour through Switzerland, reviewing the six songs taking part in Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow 2015. Before the final on January 31, we just had to stop off in St Gallen, home of one of the acts, Andy McSean. Did he have us saying “Hey Now“? Or were we more keen to say BYE? Read on to find out…

William: There’s something about a man with a beard and tattoos singing a happy, upbeat song that I find irresistible. The chorus is anthemic and catchy, but underneath this is a burning sense of longing. His smoky voice really draws me in, so much so that I have to give him an 8. Well done!

Score: 8/10

Sami: It’s a nice, very radio-friendly pop tune, but I just can’t see it doing well in Eurovision. Andy’s voice is nice, but that’s really the only thing what would make people vote for this. It’s also pretty forgettable – nobody would remember it by the end of the final.

Score: 3/10

Chris: I have to give Andy credit for staying true to his style of music and managing to work around the parameters of a “Eurovision song” in order to make it this far. “Hey Now” is an inoffensive song, but it lacks a killer punch that would push it further up the leaderboard. Saying that, the Swiss have shown a penchant for songs that are instrument-heavy: Sebalter, Takasa and Sinplus all fit in to this mould. This could throw us a curveball.

Score: 6.5/10

Josh: It’s a sweet song, but it’s definitely not the best of the bunch. I was waiting for some sort of climax but it never came. I doubt it would progress to the final, and it would definitely get lost in the crowd during the semi-final. Easily forgettable, but sweet. 

Score: 5/10

Anthony: As the only male solo artist in the final six, Andy McSean stands out for not necessarily the right reasons. “Hey Now” is a middle-of-the-road indie rock song. His vocals on the Expert Check performance make up for what turns out to be a rather forgettable entry.

Score: 4/10

Robyn: This sounds like the sort of indie-influenced moderate rock that was popular in the mid ’90s. The song takes far too long to get going (Andy could learn a lesson from Trijntje on how to get off to a good start), but the chorus has a cosy shoutalong feeling. It’s all very nice, but it just isn’t especially memorable.

Score: 5/10

Angus: Ugh. I swear the Swiss always have to have some middle-aged bearded guy in their national selection as a pre-requisite. Andy McSean is no different than his dull one-dimensional forebears. The most remarkable thing here is just how budget the video looks for ‘Hey Now’. If anyone was wondering what Roman Lob will look like at 40 this is a pretty good guide.

Score: 2.5/10

Deban: A middle of the road effort begs for a middling score. There’s nothing bad about Andy McSean or “Hey Now”, but there’s nothing remarkable either. After three minutes of hearing Andy shouting into the microphone, the only memorable line that stands out is “Hey Now”. Hmm…not great!

Score: 5/10

Renske: Could be a major radio hit in Switzerland, but I don’t think the rest of the continent will like this kind of music. People will think that they have kidnapped the singer from Firelight from Malta last year and brought him to Switzerland to sing a for them. The song is not bad, but certainly not amazing.

Score: 5.5/10

Sopon: What is it with Switzerland and country rock? And scruff? It seems that everything that Sebalter did right last year, Andy is doing completely wrong. Plus, I’m hating the useless backing vocalists. Either use them completely or don’t use them at all.

Score: 1/10

Zach: Harmless, but not the best. The chorus is kind of catchy, but at the same time it’s eclectic in a “not so good” kind of way. Wouldn’t bring them a good result if chosen, but he doesn’t seem to have much fan support. I’ll give him points for good vocals on an otherwise forgettable entry.

Score: 4.5/10

Patrick: We’ve heard this kind of song countless times before and most of the songs were crap. “Hey Now” is kinda catchy, rocky, not the best vocals (vocal coach needed) and just a bit too mainstream. Andy is quite nice, he has a lot of experience in the music business and could generate a good international backing – but I’m not sure if he could bring Switzerland to the final.

Score: 5/10

Ramadan: The song is not bad at all, but that is all I’m afraid. There’s nothing really great about this song. But at least the refrain is catchy (all I can remember is “Hey Now”). His voice matches this song really well…I just wish I enjoyed it.

Score: 4/10

The highest and lowest scores have been removed before calculating the final scores to avoid bias. We have removed a high of 8 and a low of 1.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 4.5/10

You can read all of our reviews and rankings for Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow 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.

Photos courtesy of Andy McSean