Eurovision 2014: Malta: Coming Home

Firelight

Last night, Malta was the latest nation to decide upon its 2014 Eurovision entry and, after what seemed like the Maltese version of the main event, the band Firelight with the song Coming Home was announced as the winner.

While I enjoy watching the various national finals of The Eurovision Song Contest, even the most diehard fans would have trouble maintaining consciousness during PBS's Maltese presentation.

The small island nation was offered a choice of fourteen songs amid an array of performers from past and present Eurovisions, who seemed to be there just to confuse and distract. Add to that five judges whose opinions were out of alignment with the general public and you have some very disgruntled tele-voters.

The group Firelight was the eventual winner, but their folk/rock Coming Home did not resonate with the majority of viewers. In fact, the song came fourth in the tele-vote. The winner there was the familiar-sounding Hypnotica (think Euphoria, minus the staging), sung by the red-headed Jessika. However, the weighting of the vote was such that the jury members' decisions made the tele-vote irrelevant. Coming Home received top marks from four of five of those members and thus Malta follows Switzerland down the folk route for this year's competition.

Unlike Switzerland, there doesn't appear to be any discernible hook, although Gary Barlow may be a little miffed with its similarity to his Let Me Go. But like Switzerland, it's refreshing to hear live instruments instead of a backing track. However, even that fact is not going to make it stand out from the crowd, I feel.

This will be emphasised because of Malta's draw in the first half of the second semi-final, opposite SEBAlter in the second half.

What are your thoughts?