The Sprout

Thursday @ S?n 2012

Postiwyd gan Tom_Bevan o Caerdydd - Cyhoeddwyd ar 19/10/2012 am 16:25
1 sylwadau » - Tagiwyd fel Gwyl, Cerddoriaeth

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Cruising into its sixth year, the mighty musical mash up that is Cardiff’s S?n Festival is back.

Bringing together bands that you won’t have heard of, yet, and more established artists, this four day bonanza has put our city on the festival map and is always a highlight of my calendar. With over 18 venues around the capital to choose from and hundreds of bands, club nights and fringe events, it can all be a bit overwhelming for first timers. But fear not; the handy (and free) S?n app is available for schedule planning and there are plenty of friendly volunteers happy to direct and advise. Go get yourself a ticket and hear something good

So to opening night. It was Lancashire three-piece Effluence who kicked things off with a half hour crash of moody, broody punk/funk; they ripped through Clwb’s lower floor lounge with defiant percussion, surging bass and angst-fuelled lyrics. A cracking start. Across town at Solus, Wild Swim puzzled a slowly growing audience with a promising set that all too often crossed into the pretentious. The Oxford newbies chopped and layered the baritone rumblings of singer Richard Sansom with well-textured synth soundscapes, but the influence of the likes of Wild Beats, Foals and The XX was too present. Finishing with new single Echo, they saved their best ‘til last, and if they can move imitation into innovation they’ll have much more to offer.

Super Furry’s bassist Guto Pryce then emerged with latest spin off, Gulp. Led by the understated but enchanting vocals Lindsey Leven, they produce a precise yet explorative sound that can be cinematic in feel and cunningly intoxicating in effect. My note pad scribble was “Either like Nico and the Velvet Underground on an electro ride through a drowsy cosmos, or a little underwhelming.” I am still undecided.

“I’m a bit of a car crash when it comes to men” announced A Girl Called Ruth; a North Walian now based in London whose slightly forced, bluesy vocals drove me a bit mad. While she finished off at Buffalo, it was back to Solus for R&S signing (think James Blake, Trimbal) Egyptian Hip Hop. Exotic, sunshine synths submerged under an anxious energy, theirs is a well-developed electro that manages to retain most of its impact in a live setting. Over-hyped but still worth a listen? Damn right.

Like the love child of Florence and Paloma Faith, Foxes impressed Buffalo with a punchy pop that has legs. Some vocal posturing aside, the neat percussion and rousing melodies helped build a fine performance. Elsewhere, Mercury Prize nominees Django Django put all others in the shade, headlining Solus with a string of banging good choons. Dabbling in “surf, safari and western”, the band lived up to their gathering reputation as the UK’s most exciting art-rockers (quite a title). Wor, Default, Waveforms and Hail Bop all went down a treat, highlights of an hour of delightfully eargasmic stuff. A name worth remembering? A name worth saying twice.

The current manifestation of Charlotte Church, version indie chick, then closed day one at S?n as the clock struck midnight at Dempsey's. Some of us had a 7am start and missed it, but early reports have tended to favour the songstress. Watch this space! (If she’s ever taken seriously I’ll eat my Heat mag, but good luck to her.)

Keep your eyes on TheSprout for more news and views of S?n 2012.

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