Spectrum Festival @ The Queen's Hall
It may be a 'mini' festival, but there's certainly nothing insignificant about what Spectrum serves up.
| 11 May 2007
The most notable and heart-warming element of this fourth Spectrum mini festival - a family orientated, culturally eclectic showcase of some of Scotland's finest up-and-coming bands - is the emphasis placed on entertaining the kids. It's truly refreshing to witness a cluster of sprightly pre-schoolers dancing away to the dad-rock jauntiness of Ten Storeys High (2/5). Unfortunately, this Edinburgh quartet offers little more than a tame concoction of Arcade Fire-aspiring melodies, but their sprightly pop and genial disposition certainly seem to charm the crowd like the first glimmer of a scorching summer sun.
As we venture up to the Attic's acoustic room, the loungey tones of Stealer (3/5) are already in full melodic flow. Perfectly capturing the blissed-out atmospherics of a lazy Sunday afternoon, their drippy ballads, infused with groovy Latino rhythms, beautifully unfold into an inspirational dash of mellow acoustic crooning.
Back down in the main hall, the shuddering tempo of Action Group (3/5) is blowing away any remnants of Stealer's tranquilising set. Full of looping basslines and vicious full-bodied riffs, this frantic performance expertly pays homage to the swelling sound of Canadian experimentalists Broken Social Scene.
But for vivid sonic fertility it's the luminous synths of The Magnificents (4/5) that steal tonight's show. Sounding like the frothing spawn of Tubeway Army era Gary Numan, the band's frazzled psychedelia screeches with the relentless velocity of an electronic typhoon. The title track from new EP Ring Ring Oo Oo is the undeniable highlight of a lunatic set that sensorially impairs an utterly astounded audience.
With our insides bleeding from The Magnificents' psychotic pummelling there's just enough time to traipse back up to the Attic to catch the soothing mutterings of Sixpeopleaway (4/5). Tonight a duo, the flighty strumming and whispered poignancy recalls the fragile tenderness of classic Tracy Chapman, providing an absorbing and spiritually uplifting finale fit for any occasion. [Billy Hamilton]
As we venture up to the Attic's acoustic room, the loungey tones of Stealer (3/5) are already in full melodic flow. Perfectly capturing the blissed-out atmospherics of a lazy Sunday afternoon, their drippy ballads, infused with groovy Latino rhythms, beautifully unfold into an inspirational dash of mellow acoustic crooning.
Back down in the main hall, the shuddering tempo of Action Group (3/5) is blowing away any remnants of Stealer's tranquilising set. Full of looping basslines and vicious full-bodied riffs, this frantic performance expertly pays homage to the swelling sound of Canadian experimentalists Broken Social Scene.
But for vivid sonic fertility it's the luminous synths of The Magnificents (4/5) that steal tonight's show. Sounding like the frothing spawn of Tubeway Army era Gary Numan, the band's frazzled psychedelia screeches with the relentless velocity of an electronic typhoon. The title track from new EP Ring Ring Oo Oo is the undeniable highlight of a lunatic set that sensorially impairs an utterly astounded audience.
With our insides bleeding from The Magnificents' psychotic pummelling there's just enough time to traipse back up to the Attic to catch the soothing mutterings of Sixpeopleaway (4/5). Tonight a duo, the flighty strumming and whispered poignancy recalls the fragile tenderness of classic Tracy Chapman, providing an absorbing and spiritually uplifting finale fit for any occasion. [Billy Hamilton]