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After a substantial break from the music scene, Electric Soft Parade are back touring with a new EP being released on truck records, as referred to affectionately by the band as “a lush bunch”. The boys seem surprised that anyone has actually turned up tonight so far from their loyal following in their native Brighton. But people have not forgotten about this group and their two brilliant albums that for many have never been pushed to the back of their collection left to gather dust. And disappointed they…probably are. Unfortunately technology is letting the band down tonight and the sound quality is awful, an irritating crackle persists throughout the performance annoying Electric Soft Parade as much as the audience. But when the band perform their old tracks these difficulties disappear into the background. 'Start Again' reminds the crowd exactly why they love this band, the quite amazing drummer making up in enthusiasm what the strangely sleepy guitarist almost falling off the edge of the stage lacks.
Their old songs feel slightly innocent; they’re complicated but have a neat, tidy feel to them, which makes them feel comfortably familiar and provocative of memories from when you first heard them. They do however lose their impact slightly as both the singers voices are both surprisingly weaker live then you’d expect from hearing them recorded. The band are clearly keen to play their old fans their newer work, but every new track feels like a filler between their older and considerably better music. Songs like ‘A Beating Heart’ start off far too minimalist and never hit the emotional climax music of this type should. ‘Stupid Mistake’ is more of a return to their old sound, but the track sounds as if you’ve been at the bar and missed the first half of it, somehow feeling rushed and unfinished. Electric Soft Parade put the final nail in the coffin when they shorten their near perfect song ‘silent to the dark’ into a new three minute version. It’s still good but to a crowd of old fans its criminal to change such a gorgeous track. It’s not that Electric Soft Parade have given a bad performance tonight, it’s just after such a long break you feel they could have been more together and musically progressed further than the new tracks suggest.
Disappointing, but remembering how good their original material still sounds, and taking into account the boy’s obvious nerves tonight on top of the unfortunate technical difficulties this band definitely deserve one more chance.
