The Sounds,Neil's Children,GoodBooks Live Review @ Academy (Manchester) - 10 Jun 2007

The Sounds,Neil's Children,GoodBooks Live Review @ Academy (Manchester) - 10 Jun 2007

The Sounds

Live Review

When Razorlight were just cutting their teeth and getting tongues wagging upstairs in the Academy Three venue, in front of a feverish 350 people, the big haired trio Neil’s Children proved a tasty appetizer that night. Things, as they have a habit of doing, have not run smoothly since then. However, from the stern introduction to their sturdy sound, through combative and brazen bass lines and percussion loops, singer/guitarist John Linger puts in a potent performance full of grit and low-key attitude. An exuberant line of bouncing souls, who mouth every word to a large portion of material shows that their past efforts have not been completely in vein.

The first striking chord about the fresh faced Good Books, is the way that the aching, folk flickering vocals of Max Cooke, seems naturally suited to a piano and slow acoustic build. However, the high profile keyboard climb, rugged guitar licks and pulsing percussion provides a neat contrast to the vocal approach. The creeping instrumental drag of Alice builds into the soul/rock vocals of Cooke, to best draw out this point. Naturally, given the slow building and aching nature of the music, the response to this troupe is not as immediate as that Neil’s Children were greeted with. Patient onlookers are rewarded by the colourful, soul searching previous single of Leni. This uses the keyboard touch to add atmosphere and open out the deep psyche of Good Books. Hearty foraging of this ilk usually takes time to hit home, but then again, this sort of music is far more rewarding when effort and patience is required from the listener/viewer.

If only picking the weekly lottery numbers was as predictable as naming the set opener from Sweden’s delinquent new wave rockers, The Sounds. Naturally, the ironic US bating Living In America, opens up gushing out bemusement and haughtiness, as the hot pants and leather jacket clad front lady Maja Ivarrson packs a combined Blondie and Suzi Quattro punch. Although, at the back half of the venue there is enough room to layout all the articles about Pete Doherty on the floor without any risk of them being trampled on. The front of the room is a pool of fervid activity, with gazers straining every sinew in order to take in the full picture of this snazzy, snappy outfit. A stuttering, raw guitar toed stomp by virtue of Apology, gives Ivarrson’s vocals even more projection and her animated antics spark greater enthusiasm from the big letters on a white t-shirt wearing groupies, towards the front.

The whirling and carefree spike of Ultravox and Erasure pierces the mid-set point. Behind every cocky, ultra-confident party girl of a good front lady, needs to be a rock solid rhythmic engine. Chief engineer in the post for The Sounds is bassist John Bengtsson, who keeps the rippling nature of the material flowing and provides the bounce to Ivarrson’s leap. The pacing, 80s rock, drum-breat driven Paint By Numbers epitomises the energy, drive and defiance of The Sounds, ensuring that the sprightliness keeps on ticking over and over. There is still freshness to the impact of this tasty Swedish troupe, despite this being their third visit to Manchester this year. Many leave the hall hoping for at least another three more visits before the year is out.

The rough N’ ready, yet at the same time sleak and sincere Neil’s Children and the ranging rock foragers of Good Books set things up for The Sounds to produce a party full of spirit and catchiness.

David Adair

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