Tuesday 24 April 2012

DEATH AT SEA

GAME THEORY RECORD STORE DAY LAUNCH PARTY @MELLO MELLO, 21/04/12



 
It is Death At Sea’s first gig in Liverpool and the sense of expectation and anticipation is almost palpable, mixed in with the heady atmosphere of sweat and beer at a packed Mello Mello. Ever since a Bido Lito! front cover back in February predicted that the relatively unheard of band would “blow a hole in Liverpool’s unsuspecting music community”, there has been a real buzz about them, despite the fact that most fans had only heard the three songs put up on YouTube. In spite of all this hype, which any band would be rightly wary of as a kiss of death before they’d even started, Death At Sea rise magnificently to the occasion, opening with the melancholy pop fuzz of ‘Sea Foam Green’ and showing off their lush three way harmonies to best effect. The band themselves acknowledge their sudden burst of popularity when they introduce the Cribs-esque ‘Drag’ as “one of our old songs… well, three months old,” but even at this early stage there is an almost sing-along moment during the chorus (“when he’s with her, she bleeds glitter”) which is testament to the swooning warmth of these tracks. Following up with the faster paced and heavier punk of ‘Selfless’ and new song ‘Driving Range’ it is clear that what worked well on record merely becomes more special when translated to a live setting.
‘Sea Foam Green’ opens with the lines, “In any other city in the world, tonight it gets dark- but not in Liverpool” and for the small crowd here to celebrate Record Store Day to the soundtrack of local talent, Death At Sea have definitely brightened up their night.