The Beat Surrender

I have previously enjoyed something of a love/hate relationship with The Young Knives over the last year or two, I’ve quite liked some of the singles they’ve had out but I thought their debut album despite being Mercury Music Prize nominated was a bit patchy in places for me.

Live was the same for me, I’d seen them a couple of times previously supporting other bands and while you couldn’t help but enjoy the energy of their lives shows the characters and personalities within the band didn’t really come out. Musically at times they seemed a bit of a one trick pony as well, they tended to blur into one a little, which meant you were entertained for the first three songs and then gradually lost interest.

Tonight though everything is falling into place nicely, the drummer walks onstage and starts proceedings off with a drum solo, which gradually builds into a full song when his two band mates appear onstage with him.

The front two are on fine form tonight, they may be dressed as Geography teachers and might not be the most rock n’ roll looking band, but the banter between them is worth the entrance fee alone and they certainly aren’t playing dull, M.O.R. rock music.

No The Young Knives are essentially British eccentrics and this is reflected in the music they play, with the tracks knitting together elements of pop, rock and punk. The singles stand out of course, but the new album tracks don’t sound out of place alongside them and maybe they’ve nailed a brilliant second album if this is anything to go by.

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