Wavves @ Sound Control, Manchester, 16 Nov

In the case of Nathan Williams, it’s considerably easier to work out what it is that the kids look up to in him rather than, say, slacker rock icon de jour Mac DeMarco; he’s a symbol of youthful disaffection and rebellion who wraps up those sentiments in highly melodic scuzz-pop songs that fizz by with real vigour. On Wavves' latest LP – last month’s V – they veered away from the murky rock posturing of 2013’s Afraid of Heights and back towards the out-and-out pop of their finest full-length to date, King of the Beach; accordingly, it’s the breezier moments of their catalogue that make up tonight’s setlist. 

Sail to the Sun and Idiot is an opening one-two to be reckoned with, but despite the fact that few fan favourites are left out tonight – the abrasive So Bored and Bug both make the cut, while Post Acid, dropped at the midpoint, sparks a frenzy within the crowd – there’s a sense that Williams and co never quite get out of second gear.

Everything feels a little one-track, with brute force preferred to nuance; even the more melodic numbers, like Heavy Metal Detox or Demon to Lean On, lose some of their subtlety in being delivered so ferociously. Williams’ army lap it up all the same, but Wavves feel a little stuck, currently, between their pop grounding and their out-and-out rock potential (see March’s excellent collaborative LP with Cloud Nothings, the title track of which is a real highlight tonight). The quicker they can strike the right balance, the better.