Describing themselves as a “hurricane of emotional beauty”, Leeds up-and-comers The Golden Age of TV feel like a fitting opening act for the positive rainstorm that is howling outside the Brudenell Social Club. New release “Between Each Brick” plays like Wolf Alice meets Alt-J, but with a loose, brooding swing that would make it the perfect accompaniment to a late-night road trip or coming-of-age movie.
For a band named Toothless, Ed Nash and his new bandmates enter and stand suitably tentatively, quite understandable when you consider that this environment is one that Ed hasn’t faced in a really long time – a third-full Brudenell is a far cry from Alexandra Palace with ‘day job’ band, Bombay Bicycle Club. Still, the fifth night on Toothless’s very first UK tour, it’s a moment of rebirth and possibility – he smiles with uncertainty and breathes deep, not quite sure how to start but seemingly enjoying the moment anyway.
Their sedate start of “Charon” leaves the audience a little unsure, but by the time they’re a song or two deep it starts to feel a little more like a Friday night – “The Sirens” builds into a glorious hair-whipping crescendo that recalls the joyfulness of a poppy, early Arcade Fire, the band bouncing around like a boomerang video set on loop.
“Sisyphus” sounds even perkier live than on record, a baseline that recalls The Maccabees classic ‘About your Dress’ in it’s wide-eyed romanticism. Topped off with pretty piano, it’s proof that Nash is more than capable of penning an indie-radio friendly track all on his own.
“The Midas Touch” (sadly missing that guest feature from Wild Beasts’ Tom Fleming that contrasts so well on record) is a gorgeous lullaby, a moment to exhale at the end of a long working week. The crowd is relatively unresponsive, but this doesn’t feel like an insult – more a testament to the spellbinding nature of the music, the desire to absorb it rather than overwhelm it out with applause.
The set is short but sweet, Nash sheepishly admitting that they don’t have many songs before the whole thing wraps up as innocuously as it began. but Toothless doesn’t mean without bite – in fact, the band was named for the fact that the most dangerous of creatures often come from the most unexpected of places. For a project already planning it’s second release, don’t be surprised if you hear from Ed Nash again very soon…
