SCOTTISH alt-rockers took over King Tuts on Thursday for the first night of the venue’s annual Summer Nights festival. We Came From Wolves headlined a busy night of music that showcased some of the most exciting up-and-comers in the Scottish scene.
Even though the likes of Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantic would be the first names on the lips of most Scottish rock followers, the four acts on Thursday’s bill were hardly copycats.
Elgin quartet Farewell Singapore appeared to be more indebted to 90s grunge heroes The Smashing Pumpkins than anything else. Lacking virtuosity, they were meat-and-potatoes in the rhythm department. Still, vocalist Becky Addison demonstrated an aptitude for pop hooks that will serve them well in the long term.
We Were Hunted were perhaps more familiar, with an emotive rock sound that felt like a callback to trademark Scottish acts of the mid 2000s like Sucioperro.
They almost sounded haunting at points, due to tremolo guitars and ominous bass lines that enhanced relatively straightforward melodies.
The vocals — easily their strongest component — were more direct, however, cutting through everything else. The Glasgow four-piece are still unsigned, but you’d expect that to change soon.
Arguably the biggest reception was reserved for Armstrong, youthful pop-rockers who brought an army of fans to come and watch them. Paramore’s Hayley Williams seemed to be the inexperienced vocalist’s most obvious touchstone, and the band’s repetitive four-chord patterns felt just as imitated.
What they lacked in originality, they at least made up for in stage presence. As balloons were launched upon the enthusiastic audience, Armstrong almost magically pulled into gear. Their dynamic closer gracefully showed the glimpses of potential that justified the crowd’s ardent response.
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