Over the course of several years, Little Comets have slowly but surely come to be appreciated for what they undoubtedly are – producers of insightful, catchy indie-pop-rock with a flair for storytelling and delivering tight live performances.
At Rescue Rooms on the 23rd, the three-piece from Tyne and Wear lived up to such expectations. Filling the room with their followers, Little Comets kicked off their thirteen-date UK tour in Nottingham, promoting the release of their third and latest album, Hope Is Just A State Of Mind, which has reached, at its current peak, number seventeen on the Official UK Albums Chart.
They began their set strongly, with the quality of their performing credentials proven through driving chords, catchy riffs, and impressive vocal performances from all three band members, who pull off three-part harmonies consistently, achieving a fuller, richer sound. The favourite tracks from the trio’s latest LP, like ‘My Boy William’, ‘Salt’, and ‘Little Italy’, go down particularly well. However, the middle section, devoid somewhat of the more popular tracks from their back catalogue, sounds a little repetitive, noticeable in the crowd’s more lacklustre energy. The group even shirk off hollered requests from the crowd, with Coles muttering into the microphone that it’s “not going to happen”. But fair play – they’re not a request band.
True – this isn’t the stuff of your regular indie-pop tune – but that’s exactly where Little Comets deserve credit.
That is not to say that there are not songs of note here – credit must be given for the band’s commitment to play the tracks that seemingly mean the most to them, even if they are not consistent with other, more lively sections of the set. In particular, ‘The Blur, the Line & the Thickest of Onions’ – a cutting critique of the sexism inherent in sections of the music industry and society as a whole – questions and ultimately indicts the popularity of pop songs like ‘Blurred Lines’: Robert Coles, lead singer and lyricist of Little Comets, asks “Why empower misogyny while violence towards women grows?” True – this isn’t the stuff of your regular indie-pop tune – but that’s exactly where Little Comets deserve credit.
Though interactions with their fans are minimal, even ambivalent, their music is upbeat and welcoming.
The closing stages of the gig are undoubtedly the strongest – ‘Joanna’, ‘A Little Opus’, and especially ‘Dancing Song’ are very well received as the audience dance and sing-a-long. In the performance arena, this is where Little Comets make their mark most emphatically. Though interactions with their fans are minimal, even ambivalent, their music is upbeat and welcoming. Perhaps in the future, with another album to draw from, their live show will be as complete as their performing finesse.
James Noble
James is listening to ‘Soubour’ by Songhoy Blues
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