REVERE- The Luminaire (24/01/08)

Having blown me away opening for Hope of the States splinter band ‘Troubles’ last March, it’s shocking it’s taken me so long to check out Revere again. The London-based nine-piece haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel with their orchestral post-rock, but their slightly derivative sound doesn’t get in the way of their excellence as a live act. A bit of Balkan brass here, a touch of Muse-esque histrionics there, they draw upon whole mish-mash of influences, all woven together with impressive skill. Their lyrics are pretty unexceptional as a rule, but their lush, cinematic sound is something to behold, adapting the classic post-rock template and giving it a slightly poppier, more accessible edge. The spectral vocals from Gabby Young are particular worthy of note, complimenting Stephen Ellis’ falsetto wail wonderfully, and set finale The Escape Artist particularly impresses with its melodic strength and instrumental richness. Perhaps an occasional deviation from slow-loud dynamics wouldn’t have gone amiss, and there really isn’t need for marching band snare in every song, but they produce such a damn glorious racket I can’t help but love them. As long as their upcoming album does their live show justice, hopefully 2008 will see Revere get the success they so richly deserve.

Wojtek Godzisz was a pretty decent support as they go; his lyrics were as dire as the script from Alien Vs. Predator 2, but his sheer enthusiasm and catchy classic rock hooks passed the time very pleasantly. Another band called Kaiko also played, but I’ll be damned if I can remember anything about them. Couldn’t have been that great, really.

(Photo: Polstar Photography)