Lime Garden
A slice of joy and hope before we’re launched into the depths of the cold dark winter.
Mark Stimpson
Whilst the weather is getting chillier, Brighton indie band Lime Garden have brought a tropical slice of indie summery goodness with them on their UK tour in support of sophomore album, “Maybe Not Tonight”.
The crowd huddled around in denim and leather. Clutching lime flavoured beverages fit for the headline group.
They opened proceedings with the whirring and grungy guitars of “Body”, lead vocalist Chloe Howard sounding sweet and boozy. They powered on with the Metronomy esq twang of “Pop Star”. The sparkling synths of “Lifestyle” rippled through the venue with its head bopable chorus.
New single “Moving Target” was met with much delight from eager fans bouncing in the front row sounding fresh out of Richard Curtis movie with its whimsical verses of desire.
Every song oozed with catchiness and charisma. Chloe exchanged occasional words of gratitude, but the band focused on quickly transitioning from song to song. Most of the songs captured a nostalgic indie pop vibe of the early 00s and 10s. “Downtown Lover” injecting a swanky rockier edge to switch things up.
Lime Garden were brimming with sheer unadulterated optimism from beginning to end. Fun, sharp and sweet as the fruit that precedes them. Things even got a bit ravey with “Maybe Not Tonight”, combining irresistible electronics with crunchy basslines akin to The Klaxons and Two Door Cinema Club.
It’s reassuring to see indie-poptimism still pulling a crowd, particularly in an age when mystery and broodiness is so trendy. Lime Garden brought me back to my try hard indie tumblr kid days, unlocking my inner teen that doesn’t get as many outings as it should these days. The infectiously funky “23” closed proceedings-a closing that felt abrupt and desperate to be followed by an enigmatic encore that never was. The one downside of the show was that it was over far too quickly-especially considering they have two albums worth of material.
Despite this, it was a slice of joy and hope before we’re launched into the depths of the cold dark winter.
