Tuesday 21/06/05 Shout Out Louds, Good Shoes @ Push Bar, London

Where is the worst place to be on the hottest day of the year? In the smallest venue in London. Whats the best place to be on the hottest day of the year? In the smallest venue in london watching the Shout Out Louds. See what we did there? The Push Bar in Soho was more than an adequate host for the hottest Swedish export since the Tetrapak. Filled to the brim (about 20 enthusiastic scenesters) with little room for the band to actually move, it was a far cry from the Theatre stage at The Coachella Festival Gigwise reported on a month ago.

Before we run out of superlatives, lets save a few for the support band, Good Shoes! While the sight of four Cribs-alikes may cause an allergic reaction in some, to this particular reviewer they were tonic to the ears. Half the time you will struggle to hear what they are actually singing as its done in that shouty, abrasive way that seems to be bread and butter ever since New Cross decided to give birth to clones. What allows Good Shoes to rise above the rest, is their ability to cut from Maximo Park-esque minor chord stabbing, to beautiful interludes of perfect major chord pop hooks. Still a little rough around the edges, but perhaps that’s part of their charm. They are a band who personify youthful rebellion, but instead of using this to tag up an Asda car park with The ASBO's, they inject that undiluted angst into something far more beautiful than a picture of a penis with a face on it. So they have the songs, the look and the musical talent; therefore they don’t need a good review to help them on their merry way... but they got one. Deal.

So the Shout Out Louds. Its very tempting to compare this band's music to the Swedish simplicity of do-it-yourself furniture, but that would not quite do them justice. For instance, first song tonight (and every night) is the wonderfully ironically titled 'The Comeback'. The monotone opening notes, possibly a nod to classic Nintendo game F-Zero, sets the mood for some Moog based pop/rock of epic proportions. Adam, the amiable lead singer has the kind of voice American folk singers would give their left eye for, and when he sings "I'm a reasonable man/I'm about to crack so let's call it the comeback", you actually believe the sentiment.

Much to the relief of the attractive sweating bodies around us, Adam does not crack, in fact he manages to step up a gear for the hit-waiting-to-happen 'Please Please Please'. Yes, there are plenty of songs out there with similar names, portraying similar sentiments, but you would be hard pushed to find one as aurally pleasing and pogo-inducing as this effort. Bassist Ted, who is probably a little too tall for this venue, squashes his lofty frame between the drum kit, an amp and a condensation-laced wall but still manages to sway his bass in time with Eric's hi-hat and Carl's almost innocent riffs.

Faster-paced and aptly named live favourite 'Very Loud' is the sound of the perfect summer. How does it achieve such a thing? Well by dynamics of course! Soft keys & vocal for the verse and loud drums & bass for the chorus. Easy! The main melodic riff sounds a lot like 'Taxis and Trains' by The Hidden Messages, but Adam was probably more influenced by Swedish folk than cutting edge London bands. "I want to smell, smell the way you do..." he bellows to the limited edition Converse wearing kids in the venue, but does he really? Not in this sweltering heat!

And we haven't mentioned Bebban yet. Bebban is the gorgeous keyboard player with a penchant for sultry looks, folky dresses and perfect harmonies. Not that it should make a difference to the music, but it does! She leads the staccato handclaps in final song 'Hurry Up Lets Go' but pauses momentarily to Moog it up with the hook. If Doves did happier songs, it wouldn't sound half as good as this and if you’re not convinced of the quality this band possesses by the crescendo, then frankly my dears, we don’t give a fjord. The new single 'Very Loud' was released properly for the first time in the UK last Monday and though it is doubtful the deaf/blind British public will leap off their Linda Barker endorsed sofa to their nearest musical emporium, there will be enough of us with ears out there to show our loyalty. Oh and Steve Ludwin from Little Hell was there too. Hello Steve.