The Lost Levels // The Waterfront - 18.02.10

I love local gigs at The Waterfront. Even on a horrible rainy evening in February, the prospect of hearing quality Norwich bands all loud and crisp really excites me. Smaller bands who are lucky enough to be given the chance to play one of Norwich’s best venues often fly or die in the vast amplification and sizable room, especially those who fuel off of the usual intimacy provided by most venues in this fine city. Boy/girl duo Alloy Ark are definitely one of those bands, and oh boy!, they fly. Their impeccable talent is sidelined by gorgeous songs, and a completely modest and endearing approach to performance. I saw them both in their former alias, The Three Fevers, but they have really found themselves in this state; the minimal instrumentation accompanies singer Dani’s voice to just the right level of intricacy. Next, Witchers have moments of excitement which unfortunately remain as moments and not songs. The drummer is hit-perfect, and the guitarist plays some inspired parts, but the band just don’t gel very well, and I start to think that maybe the lead singer has only ever been allowed to listen to Radiohead as some sort of cruel and emotionally intense punishment. Poor boy.

Console Wars however, excite me no end! They have matured so much since I saw them last, and despite cynically thinking that it was all hype, they surprisingly rise to their ‘Next Big Thing’ status. The drummer is still awful, and they have gotten a bit reverb-happy, but that’s OK, because the songs are just brilliant. They pluck their way through dark-dance hits that haunt and drone with moodiness. The synth adds a bit of New Order to their sound, which already delved deep into Joy Division territory, but with some Killers/Editors pop on top. I hope Milkbar doesn’t hype them into inaction, because they could really make some wonderful waves.