Spokes: People Like People Like You

It’s very rare that I actually see a support band let alone enjoy them more than the main act. I saw Spokes supporting iLiKETRAiNS at the Night and Day about a month ago and they really did the business. The main act still sounded mighty fine, but whether it was the short set or the inclusion of lots of new stuff that didn’t quite grab me, Spokes eclipsed them on the night.

Foot-tapping at the bar became swaying and nodding closer up as they moved through their set. I ended by having to compliment the sweaty drummer as he smoked an extremely well earned cig outside (something along the lines of “that was great mate”) and he seemed quite chuffed for the compliment. I ended the evening by buying the CD.

We’re on the continent of post-rock again, but there was something qualitatively distinct about what they did on the night and on their album People Like People Like You. I think it’s the way the violin adds melody and a sense of hope (that brings to mind A Silver Mount Zion), particularly on the final two and standout tracks here (one below). Or it might be that they’re not afraid of adding a vocal here and there when needed: even the strained inaccuracy of the high note hit at the end of ‘Young People! All Together’ works after a few listens.

The usual quite-loud thing of post-rock is still in evidence, but it used timely and without a sense of crushing inevitability that has made me generally jaded with the genre of late. Plus on stage they dropped the ‘post-‘ and rocked with some physical enthusiasm.

One to seek out – I saw it in Fopp quite cheap recently – and a band to keep an eye on.

Sometimes Words Are Too Slow

Get swaying down here.

angrybonbon