Tom and The Tides @ The Bull and Gate 10/02/11

Photograph Tom and the Tides

Headlining the evening's showcase in Kentish town were 5 piece Tom and the Tides. Working late I missed the majority of music running up to the Tides, including some mysterious gothic vocals from Dan Sheers and The Velveteen Orchestra, but I caught some tearjerking dreamscapes from Nick Williams, great haunting falsetto against string and electoronics. Worth an ear if that's your thing.

Together for just four months, baby faced and humble, last night they blew most road-worn 20 somethings on the London Circuit straight out of the water. Lacking the loyal girlfriends coaxing the unwilling into joining mailing lists, giving out shit flyers and bombarding the same with yawning emails, this lot have for the last four months focussed on...well, practising.

With double-bass, cello, piano, knitwear and a beard between them, they would appear to sit comfortably in the faux-folk dressing room at every festival these days, but they deliver something different. Exciting music, delicate and bold, rough melancholic strains and well rehearsed epics - with lucid and poetic songwriting from a disgustingly talented young lead-singer. Think Villagers meets Brand New and you might be close, ish.

That said, don't expect some uninspiring home recordings on their myspace to do them justice, for now just go and see them.

Expect some musicianship from these kids, with the promise that if they can produce such a set of memorable tracks, attracting industry vultures already, imagine what another year could bring them.

Right, enough with the corn.

Track: Spider