In the beginning The Little Kicks’ gig at Barfly looks like it could go horribly wrong. An ill and therefore absent bassist gives little purpose to a drummer leaving two remaining band members to take half of The Little Kicks to the stage with nothing but knitwear and mahogany guitars at their chests for comfort. Before strumming the first acoustic chord, lead singer Steven Milne jests that they will play seven songs, one for each member of the audience. Promising isn’t the word of choice here.
What would probably destroy a lot of indie bands, however, proves rather fruitful for this duo. Stripped bare, Milne’s gripping voice is given the attention it deserves. Strong and believable and accompanied by gently picked melodies and clever interchanging rhythms, his lonesome vocal is perfectly understated. ‘Why can’t we play nice for the sake of it?’ he asks on their newest offering. The inability to hide behind heavy beats and whining electrics reveals that these boys do play nicely with a set as warm as their aforementioned cardies. Their well-crafted pop songs and pretty laments can clearly be dressed up or down.
It takes a moment to feel the impact of The Little Kicks. They don’t come out full throttle from the offset but they definitely register after a few tracks, or a few kicks. As the room gradually fills with people it seems a shame that Milne can’t keep his promise to play a song for everyone there. The boys from Aberdeen, the Granite City, certainly have picked up their little sparkle. Hopefully it won’t be long before someone takes a chance on this unsigned gem.
//Eve Barlow