Sunday 14th February 2010 @ Academy, Bristol
Featuring Performances From: The Maccabees

In a way, The Maccabees are the perfect Valentine’s Day fluff. Orlando Weeks’ wistful, quivering croon matched with the band’s cutesy innocence is enough to set young hearts everywhere aflutter. But tonight the Brighton quintet prove they are bigger and bolder than the thumb-sucking juvenileness of 2007’s album, Colour It In. Back then they sang in a vaguely romantic register about such sweet-nothings as swimming pools and Lego. Now, however, they are a stronger, more stirring outfit with justifiably credible songs to match.

They have grown mature at just the right time it seems. Recent record sales have plummeted for once hyped acts like Maximo Park, The Editors and even Arctic Monkeys. Handsome boys with guitars are no longer making waves at the Brit Awards and such like. Yet, The Maccabees have managed to retain their popularity by pacing themselves, by their fashionable non-conformity and by rocking shows like tonight.

Under purple lighting, the audience bobs and throbs to spunky old numbers like X-Ray and All In Your Rows. During the sickly, confection pop of Precious Time, the whole building clamours with the drawling refrain; “Let’s take our precious time about it.” It is the material from Wall Of Arms, however, that certifies that this is a band which has come-of-age. The dainty shuffle of single Can You Give It is surprisingly explosive while the rolling thunder of Young Lions sounds markedly grungy, a huge step away from their previous cuddly aura.

They end their rousing set with a two song encore of No Kind Words and Love You Better, the latter ringing out with a potency that soars and sears in turns. “I will love you better, I will love you better, I will love you better,” the adorers scream right back at Weeks as the horn section heightens the palpable flurries of emotion bouncing from every wall. Love for The Maccabees will certainly grow and grow if they continue in this storming fashion.

www.themaccabees.co.uk

Jamie Skey
Photos by Paul Smith