Lonely the Brave @ Open
A breathless joyride through their expanding catalogue
Two albums deep and a growing reputation in their palms, now is the time for Cambridge outfit Lonely the Brave to really start nailing down their place on the scene for the long run. Thankfully, with jackhammer performances like this at their command, they shouldn’t find that at all beyond them. Gathered below Open’s dark, low ceiling the five-piece shake a sleepy Norwich crowd into a frenzy of new life, dragging the legacy of alternative music from the past decade with them to a place that feels authentically reinvigorating.
This band elevate themselves through the small details. The way singer David Jakes hangs back on stage, loitering next to Gavin Edgeley on drums and leaving the guitar/guitar/bass trio of Ross Smithwick, Mark Trotter and Andrew Bushen to hold the frontline will undoubtedly make you question what you ever truly needed from a lead singer. Despite Jakes’ guardedness on stage he commands a more powerful presence than many a flailing frontman, relying instead on the deftness of his vocal and unwavering howitzer attack in those huge choruses.
Their tracks carry lyrical heft at each turn and never feel fatigued by tired phrases or sentiment. The emotional charge is constantly running in the gigawatts and the endurance these chaps display against the intensity of their set is a testament to their dedication, dropping the volume so very occasionally and tearing through everything else. Handpicking some favourites from their debut album and pushing forward their most recent LP's biggest moments they hit their pacing spot on, a breathless joyride through the expanding catalogue. It’s remarkable, and through the din of guitar and cymbal Lonely the Brave declare war on posturing, empty rock and roll. After an hour of singalongs and sweat the victory is theirs.
