Home > Reviews > Live Reviews > 20/03/2013 | Candy Says – Wilmington Arms, London

20/03/2013 | Candy Says – Wilmington Arms, London

Lisa Ward

Triangle

There’s something mischievous about labeling your sound ‘lo-if chic pop’; a nod to their Velvet Underground influence and an almost whimsical vibe underpinning it. Though the music is discerning, considered and accomplished, it’s delivered through a playful filter resulting in a set which boasts confidence for a fledgling sound. Not that any of the members are new to the stage, and it’s this maturity which means the end result is something niche yet accessible, laden with catchy hooks and almost tribal rhythms.

Opener Dead on Arrival with it’s trumpet start instantly draws a hush to the room before moving into a sound that at times hints back to singer Juju’s former Little Fish days. It boasts a building rhythm but what would have once marked the build at the end of a Little Fish set, now becomes the tailing off of the first song, initially suggesting, and later confirming there’s more to come. Candy Says have a cerebral, visceral sound, demonstrated no better than in Dreamers where Juju’s beat style poetry collides with a sound MGMT would be proud of.

Elsewhere current single Melt Into The Sun tucks neatly into the middle of the set, while the quirky Favourite Flavour brings with it a festival pop sound. It’s here the blending and bouncing of Elise’s harmonies begin to stand out, and the subtle intonation of words draws you in, leaving the intricate melodies to fade into the background. Though the crowd at the back of the room seem to get lost during Hummingbird it doesn’t take long for the band to pull them back in. The same thing happens in Hollywood, right until Juju blasts out an extended note hold, marking the end of the night.

It’s a slightly odd way to end things, but it’s abrupt nature has the same effect as a slap in the face. A wake up call if you will that there is a musical revolution beginning, with Candy Says at the helm of the brigade.

www.candysays.it

[nggallery id=207]

Images copyright © Jo Cox. All rights reserved.