New York duo Cults have been riding a wave of hype for around the last year now since they released their first single 'Go Outside'. If all of the praise and acclamation the band has received on the internet is right, we are certainly very lucky to be watching them for free in the cosy and intimate confines of The Bowery in Sheffield, and it seems that the locals are quite aware of this. People cram inside the venue taking up every available inch of floor space, even the stairs are full with people leaning over the balcony to try and catch a glimpse of the group.
The two constituents of Cults: Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, backed by drums, bass and a busy sideman who covers keyboard, glockenspiel and guitar, creating the joyous and infectious melodies Madeline’s voice is able to float above. The band open with ‘Abducted’ which, disappointingly, fails to explode and exude excitement like it does on record. Unfortunately, this seems to be a familiar story for the rest of the show. Although technically proficient and tight as a group, the ecstasy that comes across on their album has been lost somewhere and the glisten that accompanies their music seems to have been left behind leading to a slightly unfinished sounding set.
However, there are still moments of beauty that come from tonight’s show. 'The Curse', which was released as a B-side to 'Go Outside', shows Follins' voice at its darkest as she lets loose, showing off her range and power as a vocalist. ‘You Know What I Mean’ is able to shine through the flatness too, while the band’s best known song, 'Go Outside', is greeted by a chorus sing along it's hard not to enjoy. Closer, 'Rave On', is perhaps the best song of the night, and proves to be the most dramatic and moving, with its uneasy melody and agitated feel.
Cults are worth watching, but there is a noticeable lack of the expected magic and enchantment. It is obviously a hard trick to pull off - getting the right mix of sugar-coated fuzz into your sound whilst allowing your melodies to shine through - but unfortunately, Cults’ live show may prove to be the point at which their wave of hype crashes back onto the shore, and they roll back in to the real world.