4 STARS
Coves, a two-piece hailing from Leamington Spa, first rose to prominence with their cover of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’, which featured on primetime BBC adverts for its 2013 drama The White Queen, and have since been on a steady incline. This is their first headline tour of the UK, and last night’s show at the Bodega was a great taste of what’s yet to come from the duo. OneGirlOneBoy kicked off the night, followed by a brilliant performance by Leeds brothers, Lusts, whose sound was a fresh revival of 90s Britpop.
A band with a distinct visual aesthetic, Coves’ music videos were what got me hooked on their sound; a remarkable synthesis of textures, movement, and blended hues, the cinematography of their music videos is a true visualisation of their music, which I was keen to see translated on-stage. They certainly didn’t disappoint! Beck Wood (vocals) played the Tumblr-dream grunge girl to a tee: sassy and stylish, infused with elements of psychedelic. With hazy dancing, energetic tambourine playing, and the kind of dreampop vocals that melt in your ears, she commanded the stage, and was a true delight to see performing.
Ever grounded by John Ridgard (instruments), who’s deep, growling guitar riffs compliment Beck’s smooth, wide-ranging vocals, Coves’ new EP, Soft Friday, is an incredibly promising and exciting sound, which made for a great gig. Highlights were ‘Wake Up’, which propelled the crowd from the mesmerising vocals of Beck to the hard-hitting riffs of John, in a fantastic reverie of the psychedelic; and ‘Beatings’ was a clear favourite amongst the crowd.
While other artists, whose records are heavily reliant on studio technology, struggle to perform live to the same standard, Coves proved that with just a tambourine and a megaphone, alongside the usual array of instruments, you can indeed bring texture to live vocals. A thoroughly impressive and enjoyable evening, I look forward to hearing more from Coves in the future!
Edited by Harriet Dunlea
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