Husky Loops + Finn Doherty + The Marigolds
The evening started as a relatively typical Waterfront Studio gig, quite sparse and communal. Marigolds opened with the bitter-sweet charm of Courtney Barnett and some undertones of pop-punk. Joe’s excellent vocal delivery really stole the show while the rhythm section felt a bit loose at times. Despite being one member down, they still delivered an entertaining show.
Finn Doherty followed up next with an interesting combination of synth-pop and traditional acoustic singer-songwriter guitar. His charisma and confidence were certainly present. During his track ‘Fine Little Line’, he got a small chant going. However, this felt at times a bit too polite, and well within Norwich's comfort zone.
Finally, Husky Loops graced us with their presence, a neatly, minimally lit stage made the room noticeably dark, a nice atmospheric touch when combined with their projection on the back screen. Despite being a three-piece their sound was massive. Avant-garde improvisational transitions were explored thoroughly through screeching guitars and a thumping bass. However, When I Came Home felt like an uncomfortable out-of-character addition to a set-list comprised of what felt a lot like noise-rock with distilled Jack White. It is without a doubt an excellent pop-song, but whether that pop-song fitted with their general performance is another question. An interesting synth pad set-up added the vocalists various shoutings into the percussion made for some nice experimental noises. Husky Loops are clearly very talented musicians, but their concept seems torn between experimental rock with blues elements, to indie pop. The tear isn’t that flattering, and I think without a clearer break it felt disjointed at times. Despite this, their performance still was excellent. It was a polished no-frills show, the visceral relentlessness of some of the improvised transitions really made the evening all the more intense.
