Sunday 20/07/08 Interpol, Blondie, Glasvegas @ Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Suffolk

Joanna Newsom chockablocks the midday Obelisk stage. Warming her harp, Newsom rolls through her mythical songbook with ‘Bridges & Balloons’ - “…oh my life/ oh it was a funny little thing…”, clearly nervous for she hasn’t played alone for a long time, yet captivates the audience with ‘Emily’ where “…you were skipping stones/ across the surface of the water…”. Taking us through older tunes, ‘Book Of Right On’, ‘Milk-Eyed Mender’, and the newish Kate Bush-like ‘Colleen’ with “…’erbs to feed the babes that wean…”. Three new songs are introduced on grand piano allowing for playful lyrics, asking “…will I take my God to task…”, inviting everyone to a garden party with a 4 minute ditty, and a love-song with chiming Koo-coo’s. Is it any wonder she stumbles upon her words, as on the Bjork-ish ‘Sawdust & Diamonds’ where Newsom repeatedly falls on verses, asking “oh shit, why am I doing this”, finishing with the “…gathering floozies are born to be choosy…” of ‘Peach, Plum, Pear’ with all the gaiety of a mountain stream.

The Obelisk stage sees The Twilight Sad play a set full of intense dynamic soundscapes and melancholic post-rock, as they perform songs  ‘Cold Days from The Bird House’ and ‘Talking With Fireworks’. The lead singer Graham plays whirring guitar as his obviously Glaswegian vocal shines through as he hollers and sings away from the microphone “…. Roooomaaaantic geeesture/ with roooined plans…”, Graham riling around on the his knees and back as the band play a mixture of sonics and grooves.

The Uncut stage hosts Those Dancing Days, with their candy apple pop led by a pounding Hammond organ. The band are an all girl affair, and play ‘Hitten’ and ‘Those Dancing Days’, singing about sun, sand, sea and partying “…High on life, in love with me/dancing in the night, dancing through the days…”. Those New Puritans play the Obelisk stage with their set of nu-rave and post-punk. With songs that suit the NME generation of kids, with loud beats and repetitive lyrics, they sing a selection of tunes from their debut album Beat Pyramid.

Noah and The Whale have come a long way in a year. In 2007 they played the Introducing stage and this year it was straight to the Uncut stage, Charlie Fink even announces “I only expected like five people here today, then you lot turn up that’s amazing." With Neutral Milk Hotel sounding tunes they have the audience dancing to ‘5 Years Time From Now’ as they sing “there will be fun fun fun/ when we were drinking/ fun fun fun…”.