February 4, 1999

London Highbury Upstairs At The Garage

[a]Hirameka Hi-Fi[/a] have garnered the most approving noise so far, and the psychedelic buzz of new single [B]'No Pictures'[/B] easily explains why (imagine [a]Sonic Youth[/a]'s [B]'Daydream Natio

They're all pretty young and they sound it. United by affiliations with Colchester indie label Gringo Records and a distinctly Yankophile outlook, these bands' interest in the cornerstones of distortion, feedback and tricksy rhythms are still charmingly in their embryonic stages.

Take Reynolds, for instance, whose mathematical attack exudes a phosphorous, physical funk. But they really should tone down the vocals if they wanna have any effect on their audience other than scaring them away.

San Lorenzo's boy-girl harmonies are sweet enough, and their epic, romantic slashes at a noised-out Americana also show great potential, but the overall familiarity of their material is their downfall. Hopefully they'll have the courage to break free from the pack soon enough.

Headliners Hirameka Hi-Fi have garnered the most approving noise so far, and the psychedelic buzz of new single 'No Pictures' easily explains why (imagine Sonic Youth's 'Daydream Nation' album condensed to five minutes of fizz-core genius). Perhaps they worship a little too faithfully at Kim'n'Thurston's altar (and lose the between-song banter, boys), but, as 'The Brat' viciously careers into a droning whiteout inferno, they also prove they can splatter some pretty compulsive pinwheel-paintings of their own.

It'll take a little time and care, but there's a bright future ahead, and that's a promise these bands will keep.

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