The Open + Cord

I'm trying desperately hard to break my bad habit of missing out on the support band at gigs, and quite glad to have managed to catch Cord this time. Not that I'd heard them before, but because they sounded superb! The Muse comparisons are going to always crop up when an indie band is fronted by a singer who plays guitar and a mean keyboard, but they have their own style. Songs that make the likes of Morrissey sound like he's overdosed on Prozac. With titles such as Winter, I'm leaving You, and Sea of Trouble, it was slit-your-wrists indie, the way that I like it! Not only was the music good, but whilst buying a £1 CD from James, the singer/guitarist etc. etc, he was genuinely happy to have a chat and most appreciative of my praises towards the band. It's only a matter of time before they are headlining such a venue themselves.

The Open began proceedings with Forever, the stunning jazz-tinted opener to their new album, Statues. It builds and builds when played live in a way that you don't realise on the record. There is so much going on to make the incredible sounds that need to be seen as well as heard to fully appreciate. Steven sings though it's the trumpet that defines this track, taking us on a journey that not many other bands are brave enough to embark on. It's more like watching a film than listening to a song. They played their brand of indie from both their new album as well as their critically acclaimed debut, The Silent Hours. The newer material definiteley possessed a grander and more cinematic feel, though all the songs worked well together. There was even the occasional sing along to an "old" classic, Close My Eyes. The nights entertainment ended with one of my favourite Open tracks, Forgotten. At previous gigs, I've seen Jon and Steven doing some mike sharing whilst bashing their guitars together to create the crescendo that makes up half of Forgotten. Sadly, this was missing tonight. Just because Carl and Pete have stopped doing it, doesn't mean that Jon and Steven have to! Barr that minor dissapointment, it was still a great earful and eyeful of an evening. And to anyone who witnessed it, I'm sure that it wont be forgotten!