With a strong Essex, dropping h\'s and t\'s accent, WG take off where Blur and Jet left British rock and roll. Their debut E.P. filled to the \'fackin\' brim with catchy riffs, gang vocals and the occasional solo doesn\'t dissapoint or outstay its welcome with average song times of 3:30.

Despite some parts of the E.P. sounding like it should be on the Actua Soccer 2 soundtrack (maybe something not to be ashamed of) none of the tracks follow cliche masterplans left by bands in the same vein as Wideboy Generation, Wideboy actually does something different with the tools their given.

However, at some points it feels like Wideboy Generation could take their music much further - their debut is a valiant attempt that should leave an impression, and I hope it does, as W.G. deserve to last long enough to show what they are really, musically about. And for their singer to get some elocution lessons. Watch their space.

David Robson

As Sam Isaac confesses that the creation of his debut album involved disease, departures, childbirth and bankruptcy, it is unsuprising that his D.I.Y. ethic (which includes building a bunk in his bands ex-post office van) has paid off, with substantial interest.

An impressive CV of playing at Great Escape, Glastonbury and V festival sets the par for Isaac, but he exceeds it with \'Bears\'. Isaac has a penchant for songwriting, taking songs in a completely unexpected direction and rythm which is refreshing and appreciated. Over the top, Isaac kindly lends his honest and humble vocals which melodies sit perfectly on the gentle, and sometimes energetic music. The inclusion of xylophones, violins and a brass section, which are so often eschewed in todays stagnant alt. rock scene for electronics (which Isaac proves pretty handy at). Reminiscent of The Fray, and possibly some aspects of Secondsmile, Fellcitygirl and early Athlete, Isaac\'s music clearly shows where his influences lay, without ending up being a copycat of them which happens far too often with bands at present.

I\'d go as far as the grave to say that there is not a song on the album that is mediocre - so don\'t be suprised to find yourself singing or chanting along with zeal to many of the songs. Opener \'Bears\' sets the tone for the album, which no one really has an idea of where it\'s going. Also, it\'s impossible to think of a better way to end the odyssey with absoloute blinder \'Apple Tree\' which is simply outstanding, without being overly complex.

All the evidence is there - Sam Isaac proves that with a little bit of optimism, elbow grease and some inspiration it is still possible to make a really inspiring album. Definitley get this album, and if you don\'t then I will buy it for you.

David Robson

The Veils are back with their third and highly anticipated new album. Anticipated at least amongst long standing fans, others may still need introducing.

In their brief history to date, they have released two albums previous to this one and changed line- up a couple of times. Debut album ‘The Runaway Found’ released in 2004 showed a band playing to their strengths. Their strengths being the haunting voice and poignant songwriting of frontman Finn Andrews (son of Barry Andrews of XTC fame). He returned with a second incarnation of The Veils in 2006 with the gothic americana sounds of ‘Nux Vomica’ boasting a collection of songs which demonstrated similar passion but also a few pop sensibilities and a playful side not previously seen.

And so that brings us to ‘Sun Gangs’, which is another eclectic mix which pretty much picks up from where ‘Vomica’ left off, in that Finns theatrical voice is still present. More importantly though is that it is not just that that sets this album apart. The entire band (other members: Sophia Burn-Bass, Dan Raishbrook-Guitar and Henning Dietz-Drums) really stretches its collective muscle this time around. Opener ‘Sit Down By the Fire’ gives way to Finn’s opening howl which will welcome old fans back with open arms and leave first timers intrigued all at once. The song itself kicking things of with what seems like a modern day love letter. The following one-two combination of the downbeat title track and first single ‘The Letter’ complete a thrilling opening. ‘Killed by the Boom’ makes sure that the Nick Cave comparisons of the past will remain intact in what is the most aggressive but probably weakest track on here. Luckily its nothing more than a blip as service is soon resumed in the form of ‘Its Hits Deep’ which displays Finns vulnerability of old and then its on to album highlight ‘The House She Lived In’ which almost sounds like a different band altogether to that of a few tracks ago, its combination of keys and guitar working perfectly in unison to create another classic pop moment. The finale of ‘Scarecrow’, ‘Larkspur’ and the nothing but glorious ‘Begin Again’ confirm that this is probably their best album to date. Scarecrow in particular as Finn duets on vocals on with bassist Sophia to mesmerizing effect. ‘Larkspur’ full of crashing percussion and a noisy breakdown of guitars and screams which brings the album to its tense and gloomy emotional climax before ‘Begin Again’ counteracts the gloom and ends the album on a high leaving you wanting more than the ten tracks on offer.

It seems that the Veils can adapt to any style of music and pull it off brilliantly yet it is in their more melancholic moments that they catch you off guard and manage to plant these songs deep in to your subconscious. This is an album that warrants repeated listens, but give this band your time and you will be greatly rewarded. Whether you knew them or not, on this form they are impossible to ignore. This album is a treasure. 8/10.

Danilo Zinni

There is a consensus that Doves are ‘doing an Elbow’. A year after Guy Garvey and his pals released their uplifting ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’, so Jimi Goodwin and his brethren have offered up an equally enriching ‘Kingdom of Rust’. That should be where the similarities end, though.
In March 2009, Elbow filled the cavernous space of London’s Wembley Arena for a one-off gig. One month later, Doves had the task of filling Cambridge Corn Exchange for the first date of a nationwide tour. No comparison there, then.
Beneath flickering images of airborne jets and the ‘stuck-cursor’ strains of “Jetstream”, Doves ambled onstage. There was no overblown fanfare, just singer Jimi Goodwin clasping his hands together in grateful appreciation. The venue, it seems, had sold-out after all.
“Jetstream” provided a heady opener. Bubbling along on Andy Williams’ shuffling hi-hat and peppered with a ‘Tour de France’ pulse, it burned slowly before Jez Williams’ riff boiled over. You could almost taste Doves’ dance incarnation ‘Sub Sub’ in the air.
Despite this musical pedigree, Goodwin has been accused of lacking stage presence. After thanking those who’d invested in the new album, he went on to congratulate Lady Gaga (who’d pipped Doves to number one in the album chart) by acknowledging that “the best man won”. Touché.
While some singers have far too much to say, Doves clearly let their music do the talking. This was evident from the interaction between band and crowd, when, during one particularly long mid-set pause, Goodwin pleaded, “come on Cambridge – say something!”
What needed to be said, though? Here was a much-admired band purveying their rich blend of flavoursome music to an appreciative audience. Perhaps the crowd just wanted to listen rather than scream. One girl, however, couldn’t help but yelp as the band began playing musical chairs.
With Jimi Goodwin firmly squeezed behind the drums, and usual incumbent Andy Williams taking centre stage with his harmonica, it was time for “Here It Comes”. Cue crashing beats and predictive lyrics like, “here comes my day in the sun” – words that may just become a self-fulfilled prophecy.
And so, four years after their last UK tour, they were back. As Jez Williams looped the opening chords to “There Goes the Fear”, the band returned to a familiar stomping ground. As Jimi Goodwin cried, “you turn around and life's passed you by,” you almost hoped it wasn’t true of Doves. I mean, compared to Elbow...

Paul Bingley

Lemar - 8th April
Cliff’s Pavilion, Southend on Sea, Essex

Lemar started his career on Fame Academy. Sony Music, impressed with his potential, offered him a one million pound recording contract and since then he has released over ten singles from four albums and performed in Jo Whiley’s Radio One Live Lounge.
Now signed with Epic Records and touring for his more recent album, The Reason, he has come back bigger than ever, bringing three support acts with him.

The first, Effy, worked well with what she had. I would like to hear more material, but definitely a lot of potential.
The next were a five piece called The Score. Good to see an all vocal band that actually play instruments as well. Several songs that got the crowd going were, in my opinion, overshadowed by a dubious cover of The Police’s Roxanne. Overall, they were different, at least as far as boy bands are concerned.

The penultimate act of the night was the X Factor group, JLS. The dance choreography (with the obvious exception of Ashton’s moonwalk and back flip) was of better quality on the X Factor but their song choice and routines appealed to their large fan base who were clearly having a good time. A great warm up act for Lemar.

The headliner, Lemar, obviously had a much larger budget than the other three acts with superior production and increased personnel, fitting a drummer, three back up singers, a bassist, a guitarist and even a bongo player on quite a small stage. Lemar belted out his own classics ‘If There’s Any Justice’ along with more recent work from his new album but the highlight of the night was the unlikely and surprisingly awesome cover of Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire, which suited his vocal range perfectly.


Brad Sadler