Scott James & The Revolution / Sam Eason - Sunday July 21st, The Louisiana

A sizzling summer’s night showcase of singer/songwriting talent at the Louie tonight as Gloucestershire’s upwardly mobile young rap/soul/folk band Scott James and The Revolution mesmerise a packed crowd. 

Main support is the unassuming, bespectacled and bushy-bearded Bath singer Sam Eason, well-known for his earnest performances and endearing audience banter.  ‘Apologetically not Ed Sheeran’ he takes us on an enjoyable and mostly upbeat ride with some uncomplicated but terrifically effective melodies and a whole lot of loved-up fuzziness.  Midway through the set he’s joined by wife Beth and the pair unleash some devastating harmonies on ‘Across The Sky’ and ‘Our Last Song.’  Clearly she’s a main inspiration behind his writing but the likeable school teacher sounds far from contrived as he gets the crowd shifting on the poppy brilliance of ‘Cliches’ with “there really are no words for this Disney romance, that won’t make you sick to your lungs.”  The standout track is ‘Turn On Your Heels’ which we’re told was a warning to a girlfriend about a good for nothing scoundrel.  Eason shows real potential as he layers 2 or 3 different sequences and knuckle rapping via loop pedal, folk giving way to indie/rock; a less indulgent/more urgent Damien Rice which hares along and captivates the crowd.  Great stuff and one to watch.

Tonight’s headliner have somehow fused rap, hip-hop, soul and folk together to create thought provoking often politically charged tracks straight outta, yep you guessed it; Cheltenham.  Having released their debut EP in March (‘The Acoustic Sessions”) the group has gone on to perform at festivals nationwide as well as winning a main stage slot at Beach Break in Newquay.  Perhaps eyeing the commercial success of Plan B in his musical versatility, the fledgling quartet has created a buzz from drawing upon their individual influences to form their own inimitable sound.  Frontman Scott James spits in a slightly faux-American style which isn’t always entirely convincing but there’s no denying his impressive writing talent and live delivery.  On early track ‘Mama Don’t Worry’ there’s a hint of a checkered past in his poignant lyrics that helps to move them from Just Jack and into Eminem/Nas territory, solidifying that all important credibility. 

In Sophie Cotterell they have the pop credentials and eye candy to dent the charts, on ‘Read All About It’ she shows that she has a formidable voice and when married with the harsh street vocals of James it’s clear they’ve got something unique.  Multi-talented James Armah (guitar, vocals and cajon) threatens to steal the show on cajon, a powerful backbone to their sound and an instrument that the band could utilize more often.  Fugees cover ‘Ready Or Not’ is well received, Cotterell’s voice again soaring as Scott James takes the helm for the tricky Lauryn Hill rapping as the band make it their own.  Final track ‘A New Republic’ is one of many calling on the government for change; it makes for an interesting listen from a band that have much to say and surely the creativity and class to catch the attentions of the masses.

Kindly published by Venue:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-s/20955-scott-james-and-the-revolution--sam-eason-

Best tracks: Click on links below

Sam Eason - 'Turn On Your Heels'

Scott James & The Revolution - 'A New Republic'

Warm Soda, The Louisiana, Tues 16th July

Californian punk-pop quartet Warm Soda are anything but flat tonight as they begin their first UK mini-tour at the Louie.  A fizzing 50 minute set from tonight’s headliner is watched by a fairly meagre but lively crowd, owing in no small way to the sweltering stubbornness of the current heatwave drawing fans away to nearby beer gardens and riverside railings.  The super-skinny group mix the 70’s glam power-pop of T-Rex with the punchy 2D post-punk of The Jam to create a bubble-gum version of ‘This Is It’ era Strokes.
 

Front-man Matthew Melton has a touch of Phil Lynott about him with curly hair and suspect tache as he wields his intriguing Ovation Breadwinner.  The charismatic singer wasn’t without a band for long following an acrimonious split from previous group Bare Wires after last years SXSW tour; his ear for an infectious pop hook certainly appears to be undiminished.  Debut album ‘Someone For You’ was released in March with enough syrupy pop to rot a good set of gnashers.  A different proposition live, Warm Soda stir in a couple of shots of Jaeger to give their sound an aggro/punchy kick away from the squeaky clean production and one dimensional foot-stomping.

Things get a little weird early on during lightweight radio hit ‘Jeannie Loves Pop’ as some youthful audience exuberance sees a clutch of shirts streaming onto the stage.  Guitarist Rob Good (a spit of 70’s era George Best) sports a bewildered look as he begins the rather futile clear up duty.  Good and Melton are clearly the driving force behind the band, the former laying down some tight jagged licks that sit up nicely for the latter’s heavily echoed and sometimes indecipherable Bolan-esque whispers.  Staying just the right side of vom-inducing tweeness; early track ‘Busy Lizzy’ has enough bite to move it towards lo-fi garage rock, leather jackets and bar brawls.  Although at times repetitious it is great fun to watch and the heady mix of poppy innocence and fuzzy buzz-saw riffs could wreak havoc on a packed-out sweaty Friday night.

‘Waiting For Your Call,’ one of many to show a tale of youthful romantic longing and heartbreak proves a standout with the killer chorus that Julian Casablancas seems to have recently mislaid.  EP track ‘Reaction’ is unashamedly glamtastic with a bouncing bass and distorted picking that builds to a balls-out thumping chorus with Melton fully engaged with the girls in the front-row calling “don’t you want a reaction, yes I think so.”  The group finishes off proceedings with a conspicuous sugar-free jam that smashes the 2 minute barrier, in fact almost topping 15 minutes with some blazing riffage and herculean skins pounding seldom heard earlier on.  It's a curious finale that's unrecognisable to the rest of the set and points towards the possibility of a fuller stadium rock direction.  In all though it’s a promising UK debut and with a swelling of approval creeping over from across the pond you would expect that good times lie ahead for the trendy throwbacks.

Kindly published by Venue:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-w/20938-warm-soda

Best Track: Click on link below:
Warm Soda - 'Waiting For Your Call'

Album available here: