When you’re one of the most popular underground bands on the
rock scene, surrounded by quite a lot of good vibes about your future, it
always seems easier to pull off momentous occasions so when the Xcerts
announced they’d be performing their second (and slightly less good) album,
Scatterbrain in full at the Borderline in London, you’d be right to be
cautiously excited.
On the night however, there’s a strange name on the bill. It’s
Saul Goodman! For those of us who aren’t as hooked on Breaking Bad’s skirting
characters as the Xcerts, we quickly learn that it is infact tonight’s headline
act playing a series of new tracks including what must be a future single in “Shaking
in the Water”, the band warm up for their own warm up act in short but sweet
style.
So with the crowd having already had four songs of
excitement, it’s time for Yearbook. The five-piece, whilst not yet a fully
touring band, have created a buzz around their live set that just refuses to stop
snowballing from the moment they plug in. The likes of -single “Everything I
Own” fits in with the chant along “3’s and 6’s” from the free EP Squares and
Circles in a well rehearsed and tight knit sound as lead singer Andy Halloway’s
elastic voice dominates the small venue. With more material of a similar
quality, Yearbook could see themselves selling out the Borderline very soon.
After all this excitement, you’d be forgiven for not even
needing the headline act to go home happy, but you’d be sorely mistaken. From
the opening pulses of Tar Ok, breaks title track “Scatterbrain” as the album play
through gets underway. The crowd start to get on board as “Gum” gives them a
respite but as “Slackerpop” blasts its way through the speakers, anyone
contemplating standing still is won over. Considering the record as a whole isn’t
exactly the best around, The Xcerts prove against the odds that on their day,
they can be be. Roll on record three.
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