“This is the end of the acoustic part of the set” jokes Make Model’s guitarst Lewis Gordon. In fact, though he may have his tongue firmly in cheek, the supposed folk-popers are certainly prepared to turn it up a little.
Tambourines and acoustic guitars are summarily dumped and the delicate harmionies are suddenly beefed up for a bigger, fuller sound and things in the crowded Barfly get a little bit sweaty and decidely more rock’n’roll. One that Geoff Allan, from CaVa studios, will have to capture on their forthcoming album (they dedicate a song to the producer as he watches from the side). To be fair, the earlier part of the set has a wee bit of a Scottish ‘traditional’ feel to it, in the same way that Aberfeldy and Foxface are able to take our nation’s musical heritage and turn it into something palatable to the indie mindset. The ‘second half’ is therefore – if you believe what the reviews are saying – an ex-pat’s dream with Canucks like Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire seemingly controlling the band via some weird psychic process. That’s unfair, as you could cite influences from all over – even wrapped up in one song, ‘The LSB’, you have boy-girl chanting a la Dananananaykroyd, a grumbling Mark E Smith vocal, a shuddering Hooky-out-of Joy Division bassline… but still, the euphric pop of, well, Make Model. Because, no matter how fast this six-piece’s ascent to the top may be, it loks like they’ll be doing it on their own terms.
