Issue 33 / May 2013

24
Bido Lito! May 2013
the Morrissey sweet spot, there’s more than
enough to salivate over in his newfound role
as solo frontman.
He turns up the bounce for Upstarts, loaded
with a rock ‘n’ roll hook more catchy than the
Harlem Shake, while New Town Velocity retains
a Smiths-esque melancholia that’s married
with lengthy interludes of ad-hoc, shimmering
guitar licks bursting with northern soul. An
overarching blanket of garage rock bravado
encapsulates the divine simplicity of his new
album, a nod towards his brief stint as an
honorary Jarman brother. Instead of decaying
into a satirical ghost of his former accolades,
Marr has contextualised his past, present
and future in this collection of three-minutesomething
guitar-led rock songs. It’s just as
well that his ‘no obvious hits’ credo seems
to be irrelevant amongst his loyal devotees,
as he swaggers towards the finish line with
synthy album title track The Messenger.
A Smiths-centric encore follows, with
How Soon Is Now? and There Is A Light
That Never Goes Out wheeled out for a
schmaltzy sing-along en masse. With his
nostalgic obligations fulfilled, Marr hoists his
Gig Guide and Ticket Shop live at www.bidolito.co.uk
STORNOWAY
Pale Seas
Evol @ The Kazimier
instrument above his head in a rare instance
There’s something so overwhelmingly decent
of triumph and showmanship. As far as
about the music of STORNOWAY, so mature and
Johnny and this capacity crowd of around a
measured and sensible, that you can’t imagine
thousand is concerned, this Northern light is
the band members being any different as people.
never going out.
They’re not just the kind of guys who you could
Joshua Nevett / @joshuanevett
take home to meet your mum, but the kind who
beautifully when matched by that of drummer
Zeelah Izabella Anstey, and together with their
bandmates they make dreamy, lovely music
which gently builds to soft crescendos and brings
to mind sunsets and picturesque landscapes.
A sense of the pastoral is something that is
also ever present in the music of Stornoway,
who are introduced via the most beautiful violin
solo against the stage backdrop of their new
album cover with its shining moon. The fivesome
(they’ve recruited an extra multi-tasking member
for touring) open with the poppy latest single
Albatross, and immediately any concerns that
Brian Briggs’ clear and soaring voice will be
lessened live are dispelled.
The band go into the stunning The Coldharbour
Road next, one of the most emotive tracks from
their first album Beachcombers Windowsill,
and it’s clear we’re in for a special evening.
Stornoway stand out for a couple of reasons;
Stornoway (Alex Nicholson / amhnicholson.blogspot.co.uk)
firstly, there can’t be that many ornithologist-
would do the dishes, bond with your dad and
turned-frontmen. More importantly, in the
make your little sister laugh.
aftermath of a supposed nu-folk revival - out of
But it’s not any kind of virtuous veneer that
which have come many artists who can seem
has drawn the greyer-than-average crowd
cloying or contrived – Stornoway manage to
here tonight; rather the band’s honest and
be sentimental without being cheesy. It’s an
often moving music, carried by an ever-present
undercurrent of optimism.
First, though, we enjoy PALE SEAS, who touch
upon the kind of woozy romantic sound that
Mazzy Star trademarked in the 90s. Leader singer
Jacob Scott’s high-pitched voice works most
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extremely delicate balance, and one that brings
to mind the unalloyed joy of The Shins.
Musically their freshly-pressed second record
Tales From Terra Firma sees the band flesh out
their sound (see the baroque (A Belated) Invite to
Eternity) and there are proper weird-out moments
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