When Itchy headed off to see
Everything Everything support Delphic at their Electric Ballroom gig in Camden we weren't sure what to expect. We're not going to pretend we knew much about them and after reading on their website that they
don't like the 'indie tag' and draw on a number of bands for inspiration whether 'it's Girls Aloud or Slint' (their words not ours) we couldn't help being sceptical. To be honest we wouldn't have been surprised by a painfully pretentious act that
went out of their necessary way to be alternative whilst putting our attempt at pulling off skinny jeans to shame. However we can honestly say we were pleasantly surprised, quite possibly coming away their new biggest fans.
Their sound is an eclectic mix of
upbeat indie-electro with the occasional intense bit of guitar action thrown in for good measure. What impressed us most was the all-encompassing range of the lead singer's vocals;
who knew a post-pubescent male could hit notes that high? All of this combined to create a feel good, melodic sound which made us want to dance, or at least bob our heads a bit more enthusiastically without embarrassing ourselves. Admittedly when listening a little closer the lyrics are baffling, for example 'who's gonna sit on your face when I'm gone?'
isn't the most romantic thing we've ever had sung to us; but we don't think the meaning is the main point... instead it's their overall, dynamic, quirky sound which draws you in. Their
electronic vibe made them the perfect warm-up act for Delphic who went on to play to an enthusiastically geared up crowd.
We were also pleasantly surprised with the venue, from the outside the
Electric Ballroom doesn't look anything special. Nestled in between the various piercing and tattoo parlours which adorn Camden you could easily be put off. However it opens up to be reasonably large inside and thankfully for Itchy (as
we get very thirsty...) there are several easy-to-get-to bars with average priced drinks.
As their name would suggest
it's hard to put Everything Everything in a box (sorry to state the obvious) but if you like the sound of Passion Pit, Delphic and Bombay Bicycle Club with a dash of Biffy Clyro then give them a listen. And girls, if it helps, they're not bad to look at either.
www.everything-everything.co.uk
Alex Chatwin
