Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The Midlands city of Leicester might not be the first port of call when people talk about music in the last 50 years but away from the city’s overwhelming love of sport with Leicester City, the ever popular rugby team, the legendary bowls player Tony Allcock and of course it’s entertaining cricket side, music does play a significant part in the heritage that you can feel as you step out of the train station and start to explore this historic place.
Like all towns, cities, villages and even the odd hamlet that litter the country, there are dreams of playing music. The thought in whatever age that at some point they might be able to get on a stage and perform at least one song, one original piece of music that will stand out and make sense of their lives to anyone with a good ear might at least appreciate and spread. If that wasn’t the case why have a soul, why carry the thought of being something other than being a mindless automaton with no compulsion but to serve the state and do as you are told.
From out of Leicester comes a young band with that on their mind, the images of the likes Cornershop, Showaddywaddy, Jon Lord, Diesel Park West and Kasabian must be filtering through the subconscious of The Midbeats as their E.P. This Old Town dips its large toe into the sometimes freezing waters of disturbing apathy for something new and finds the reception generously warm and intriguing.
The four members of the band, Matthew Dowell, Jake Palmer, Tom Heaton and Josh Pontin play each song on the E.P. as if they have been around forever, plugging away in the back streets, the alleyways, private venues and public houses that make up the Leicestershire city. The opening salvo of the E.P., the title track is clean, fully loaded with a precision of almost immaculate musical timing that it immediately raises the expectations for what is too come. That can be a dangerous precedent, all too often an initial opening track fills the room with so much hope so that what follows is sometimes only fit for the dustman on their rounds, or at least the delete button on your stereo.
This Old Town doesn’t suffer that same inglorious fate, it flows wonderfully through the remaining three tracks, Mr. Mac, Mindset and Oh Mister and it’s fair to say that because of these four great songs that whilst Leicester might suffer from being low down in the thoughts of the population when asked where great music comes from, the 21st Century has a rising star to offer them.
The Midbeats more than fully deserve a listen, they might just be the start of a new revolution outside of the typical areas of music domination.
Ian D. Hall