Little Green Cars - Thursday 28th Feb, The Louisiana

It’s about this time of year that every critic and music industry ‘expert’ monotonously heralds their tip for the next big thing; many of which (via a fleeting appearance on Jools Holland and a couple of lines in NME) head back to pub corner obscurity at the same rate of knots in which they surfaced.  Much hyped Dublin folk/rock quintet Little Green Cars are as safe a bet you can back for stardom however.  Effortlessly fusing Nicks/Buckingham harmonies and rousing Arcade Fire melodies with lyrical themes of unrequited teenage love and growing up, the band are lapping up universal adulation as their sell-out UK tour concludes tonight. 

Lofty lead singer Stevie Appleby leads them through the audience and onto the cramped stage giving a wry smile after a near-miss with the low foam-backed ceiling, much to the crowd’s amusement.  Flanked by birthday boy guitarist Adam O’Regan, Donagh O’Leary (bass, vocals) and pint-sized powerhouse Faye O’Rourke (guitar, vocals) he cuts an imposing figure, almost unrecognisable from the early Youtube demos that first caught the attention of Island records.  Unfazed by the capacity crowd, Appleby confidently chirps “Bristol, we love your giant ball, you know the big silver thing in the square.” Nice.

Bravely opening with a cappella track “Red,” the group’s tight trademark 5 part harmonies enchant from the off.  Even the redundant drummer gets stuck in as we’re given an impressive choral intro to the band’s most powerful weapon.  Sure, it’s Mamas and Papas meets Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young americana with a celtic twang but it stops short of being too sickly/contrite.  The audience’s patience is rewarded as keen acoustic strumming begins the heavily rotated radio hit “Harper Lee”, the band’s showcase of lush melody and harmonies.  Appleby adopts a fragile Wayne Coyne vocal that works in perfection with the jangling guitars and punchy drums, with the whole band layering over him it’s a polished slice of power pop that’s met with roaring approval.

Impressive guitarist Faye O’Rourke takes centre stage on “My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me.” Florence Welch meets PJ Harvey in a sublime salvo of soul and sass which even the sugary Carpenters backing vocals cannot derail. It’s a formula that works better on the brooding ‘Them’ and lively standout “Big Red Dragon”, the band showing the mature songwriting capabilities that will surely stand them in good stead.  Debut single “The John Wayne” triumphantly closes the set.  More delicious harmonies, thumping drums and even a rare guitar solo with an almost hypnotic mantra of ‘It’s easy to fall in love; it’s easy to fall in love with you.” 

It’s an astonishingly assured performance from a group so young and with Coldplay/Arcade Fire knob-twiddler Marcus Dravs at the helm for their imminent debut release and a string of summer festivals in the calendar, there’s no doubt that Little Green Cars will power onto the mainstream motorway.  Anthemic, ambitious and with a charming innocence of youth, there’s further evidence tonight that the hype is justifiably accelerating them towards a great future.

Kindly published by Venue: http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-l/20252-little-green-cars

Setlist TBC

Best track: Click on link below
Little Green Cars - The John Wayne

Albums: