Cambridge is hit-and-miss when it comes to gig turnouts, but due to the varied five-band bill, The Corner House was full – quite the feat on a Wednesday night.
This could possibly have been down to openers, FIRST BREATH, as it was only their first or second gig and it was obvious a lot of friends were in tow. They played no frills hardcore with the odd southern lick and hints of SICK OF IT ALL, although overall they sounded more like TERROR than the Koller brothers. Their duel vocals seemed pretty pointless, but for a band with so few gigs under their belt, there was plenty of potential.
Next up was something completely different. In fact, BOUQUET had a range of influences meaning each song was unique – a mixture of atmospheric post rock and mathy emo. The songs were long and intricate, but not unnecessarily so. Their lead vocals weren’t particularly inspiring, but due to the abilities of the musicians, it wasn’t much of a problem at all.
OUR TIME DOWN HERE are a band we’ve followed for a number of years now – progressing along the Yemin-scale from a COMEBACK KID/PAINT IT BLACK-style band to adopting a more KID DYNAMITE/LIFETIME sound with plenty of sing-a-long moments. Whatever music they’re playing though, it’s always passionate and powerful. Will’s a great frontman, and helps transfer the energy from the band into the crowd. The new songs have some really dark undertones, and with a real AFI influence to a few of them it works really well.
Up next was the surprise of the evening in the form of tour support, LIGHT YEARS. Their bouncy brand of positive pop punk was certainly nothing new, but it was a lot of fun, and the surprise of the evening.
PENTIMENTO had a lot to live up after a strong set of supports, but they did so with ease. The band treated the crowd to all but one song off their Wrecked EP, barely putting a note wrong. Their sound is relatively unique in a genre which is often feels overrun with bands. For those who aren’t familiar with them, if BALANCE AND COMPOSURE did nothing but listen to BRAND NEW‘s first two full lengths before recording, it might have sounded something like PENTIMENTO. The only gripe would be that they didn’t play ‘Isn’t It Obvious?’, but apart from that, an excellent set from a promising young band.
See more image from the night in our Photos section.
ANDREW CREAM