Thursday 8th October 2009 @ Thekla, Bristol
Featuring Performances From: Yes Giantess, The Local Natives, Golden Silvers

The evening has an unfortunate start; Marina and The Diamonds have cancelled due to illness. This is the second time they’ve cancelled a Bristol date and I’m more than a little dismayed. With one woman down, it’s up to Yes Giantess, The Local Natives and headliners Golden Silvers to fly the flag for new music.

US youngsters Yes Giantess already have a double page spread in NME and an EP under their belts and they play with bundles of enthusiasm, but it’s not really enough. Their 80s themed, sugar-coated synth-pop doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Even though some of those blips and bleeps are kind of catchy - probably enough to fill a few indie club dance floors – it’s all been done before, and with much more panache; namely by the likes of Passion Pit and Late Of The Pier. The addition of saccharine vocals and lyrics that could have been lifted directly off an N-Sync album, tip the balance to sickly sweet.

With unusually high moustache stats (three out of five members), second support from US band The Local Natives, don’t even need to play a note and I’m already won over. Oh boy, it’s a good job they do though! They completely steal the show; these guys should be headlining their own tour. Exquisite vocal harmonies layered with galloping rhythms and enough shifts in tempo to keep you on your tippy toes. They sound like the playful younger sibling of Grizzly Bear; managing to reach atmospheric climaxes that sweep up your heart whilst also remaining delightfully danceable. One member mentions how cool it is to play on a boat; “Do you think we can make it go? I hear it’s a pretty old boat, but it’s a possibility…” There’s no doubt that they could; with all those beautiful sounds they could sail a whole fleet of ships away.

It’s a shame that Golden Silvers had such a hard act to follow. Returning to the 80s theme that kicked off the evening, their fairly formulaic pop and lacklustre performance feels bland in comparison. With a credible first album in True Romance, released last April, I was looking forward to seeing them live. They have some catchy tunes but even the funky bassline of Arrows Of Eros didn’t get me dancing. Lead singer Gwilym Gold has a wonderfully rich voice but spent the entire set looking incredibly bored - it was fairly uninspiring.

With one cancellation and only one out of three bands having something new to offer, it could have been a bit of a drab evening. Fortunately The Local Natives more than make up for it; I hope their own headlining tour isn’t too far away!

www.nme.com

Serena Mitchell