Sunday 13th December 2009 @ The Croft, Bristol

It is on a brisk mid-December Sunday that The Croft once again opens its doors to an all-day melee of local music. Unfortunately, due to outside commitments, I was only able to catch the latter two bands on the bill; 90’s influenced grunge outfit, The Brazen, and intricately atmospheric heavy/post-rock group Aye Aye. Apologies to the rest, however the entry fee would have been worth it for these two alone.

First up were The Brazen, hitting the stage with an early 90’s influenced grunge sound. The Bristol-based five piece rallied through a set, which although did sound very familiar, still had its moments. The group offered up an accessible take on college rock and grunge, with some lovely contrasting vocals between the front pairing of Ben and Gemma, combining well with pounding beats and tight grooves. Their set was high energy, well honed and pleasing enough, but at times failed to really hit top gear. In no way were these guys disappointing, but it did almost feel as though they could be doing more with their sound.

This was only really put into perspective with the arrival of the day’s headline act Aye Aye (pronounced “Aje Aje”). The band are relative newcomers to the Bristol scene but have crammed in the gigs over the last year or so and in doing so, are starting to make a few ripples in the vast pond that is unsigned music. Stepping out as a 5-piece now with the acquisition of percussion/extra guitar coming from Dave MacKenzie, the deep layered nature of their music creates an imposing force onto this Croft stage.

Now I must be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect from these guys but what exploded from those speakers was reassuringly impressive. The group expertly blend hard-hitting ‘trad-grunge’, with dark, atmospheric, nigh on psychedelic rock; this speckled throughout with a melodic and light ambience that adds key depth and intrigue to the whole sound. At times they sounded like a much more urgent Mogwai, at others you could hear shards of Radiohead or Sonic Youth creeping in, a veritable banquet for many an intrigued music fan. Starting fairly softly, early tracks such as Niño Cósmico with its Matt Bellamy-esque vocal melodies from lead singer Pablo Mestres entwine delicately with soothing guitar riffs and defiantly uplifting keys to create a haunting pre-cursor for an imminent onslaught. As the set grinds onwards, the songs gather momentum and reach a ripe intensity that is as demonic as it is delightful. The ambitious contrast between the dark and the upbeat is refreshing. Driven by pounding, almost tribal drumming and strong moody basslines the backdrop is set for an angry, yet inspiring wall of noise. And it is this wall of noise that blows away any reservations from the crowd that this might be a band afraid to rock out.

At the risk of sounding slightly patronising, this was a wholeheartedly enjoyable gig, refreshing to see Bristol still churning out good rock music, and to anyone looking for a slightly different take on the ambient or the aggressive, then Aye Aye could be right up your alley.

www.myspace.com/thebrazen

www.myspace.com/ayeayeemitesonidos

Dave Writer