Monday 05/11/07 The Young Knives @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

If there was ever a entry in the Oxford Directory for quirky, British pop, its a good bet there would be a picture of The Young Knives accompanying it. From their tweed look to the fact the bassist is called the House Of Lords, there has always been something that just screams off-beat Middle Englanders about the band. If the group's recent Mercury Music Prize nomination has achieved anything, it's perhaps been in successfully re-focusing attention on the band's music, rather than their apparel. This tour, to road-test new material in small venues is another step in the three-piece’s bid to drag themselves clear from the stereotyping that was in danger of swallowing them up.

Certainly, a lot of the newer material played is sleeker, with a streamlined, rockier approach to the fore, though still retaining aspects of that nervy, jittery trademark of the band. 'Counters' has a bit of shoegazing about it with droney vocals over waves over rumbling guitar while recent b-side Holiday Everyday is an utter treat, with a languid, smooth feel that contrasts with some of the more jagged offerings from the band. The band’s harmonies and vocal interchanges between the Dartnall brothers (vocalist / guitarist Henry and bassist Thomas, aka House of Lords) remain as strong as before, with the usual lashings of wit and wry observations in play. As for 'Terra Firma' itself, it is simply sublime. Heavier than on record, it's one of the dance-able and rock-able songs to emerge in ages and rather fitting that on Bonfire Night the trio have some genuinely explosive material to showcase.

Of course, the band’s post-punk heavy earlier work can shine too, capped off by a frenzied rendition of 'Weekends And Bleak Days (Hot Summer)', that sees Henry Dartnall’s face grow redder and redder, like he’s actually going to explode with a loud comic book style pop. It’s the interaction between the band that confirm their whimsical status, from joking about the Bon Jovi medley they’ve got planned or the fireworks finale, to continual comic bickering between the brothers Dartnall. Although this does grate after a while and Gigwise starts to wish they could at least play a two or three songs in a row without chattering, for the most part it’s entertaining enough.

The only real letdown comes in the shape of the encore with new single ‘Up All Night’ (like the Razorlight song but better, and not played by a bunch of ****s, according to Henry) being a fairly pedestrian indie track, that sounds like about a hundred other bands that populate Planet Indie, and it’s a formula the Young Knives occasionally fall into. 

Then, despite a avalanche of feedback to start it, the finale of ‘She’s Attracted To’ isn’t the spectacular explosion expected, instead being the lone firework that is undone by a downpour of rain. It’s just bland, instead of exciting. While the conclusion may have been unmemorable stuff, this was still a classy performance that proves that never mind eccentricity, the Young Knifes can easily cut it on a musical level too.