Although Chapter Sweetheart state being influenced by such bands as The Nation of Ulysses and The Make-Up, as well as jazz and soul, they don’t rely overly on these influences. Instead, they take elements of these and manage to create something that’s completely their own, and this is what sets them apart from their contemporaries. Having heard only their MySpace material so far, I am about experience them live and see how they pull off their remarkable blend of music on stage.
I arrive upstairs at a sparsely populated Old Blue Last to the tunes of a nameless first act that falls into that nowadays so popular Wavves/No Age scheme: one dude playing guitar and singing and another one behind a drum kit. I know I must sound like a grumpy git, slating support acts, but then it’s not my fault they’re... a bit crap. Although these two guys try to put on a show with the skinny guitar dude constantly moving around, the songs themselves aren’t very remarkable or played convincingly enough. The pop sentiment that makes a band like Wavves so special is also missing here - instead we’re left with pretty pedestrian riffing. Admittedly, though, these two are still young, so there’s always hope.
When Chapter Sweetheart enter the stage the room gradually fills up to the sound of a tight rendition of Nice Idea - a track that lives off its simplicity, based on a hypnotising and simple bass riff that accentuates a relentless drum beat. Kevin’s saxophone goes through some effects processing, giving the song an extra dimension, while the rest of the band gradually play themselves into a trance. Question Time follows, which is a more upbeat and altogether poppier song, with nice boy-girl vocal harmonies from Kevin and Angela. The set mostly consists of new material which the band has just recorded the previous day and showcases more pop sensibilities. They play another new song, No.10 Casanova Street, followed by Today the Truth, and go on to finish with the highlight, Something to Write Home About. Again, the chorus features some cool boy-girl harmonies, while Kevin speaks the verses more than sings them. The song is a sparkling, driving piece of pop that escalates into a cacophonous frenzy of wild noise and drum rolls.
Thirty minutes ended far too soon; although they were thirty satisfying minutes. Chapter Sweetheart are definitely a force to be reckoned with, so don’t miss them should they play somewhere near you.