Edinburgh band The Tide Inside open tonight’s show in the plush, dark interior of Voodoo Rooms – and it’s an environment that suits their sound well. Introducing the set with ear-shaking throbs and pulses, theirs is a moody sound. Nick Mason-style drums enter the scene, rolling and clattering through a soundscape being created on synth, bass and guitar by the band’s three other members. They paint a dark picture; the music sounding like a black and white photograph of a stormy landscape.
Despite being a band from the city, this is music for the country: stoic crofters, rain-soaked fields and lonely, dangerous mountains come to mind as vocals are howled like a wolf, and plucked guitars create a strange country & western style sound. Clever compositions and use of crafty music technology (backwards echo and bass heavy synth units) augment this sound and create a certain longing atmosphere. This band must’ve been on some dark Highland road trips or tours to be inspired into making this sort of rich and varied music.
If The Tide Inside are subtlety inspired by remote and scary landscapes, headliners Revere are overtly inspired by the sea. No doubt. With their nautical flag shirts, admirals’ jackets, bearded front man, and even a fishing boat’s lamp as a stage prop, their set almost becomes a bit of a theatrical performance – like the play of a sinking ship – Titanic: The Indie-Musical. Lyrics like “keep this channel on the radio open” and sea shanty style accordions may be radio friendly, but they only add to this over-blown conceptualising.
The music matches this too, with barely a quiet moment, and all six members of the band constantly barraging the audience with a tsunami of notes. One song has a nice Sufjan Steven-esque crescendo, but it’s a little hard to appreciate because the whole set beforehand felt like one long drawn out fanfare.
There are some moments to appreciate however: a great little fuzz bass solo, some nicely plucked violin, and some of the theatrical parts worked well (I genuinely loved the fisherman’s lamp!). It’s all unfortunately delivered with such earnestness though, it’s like a Christian Rock band minus all the references to Jesus. Apparently he could walk on water though, and had fishermen friends, so maybe they could use that in their next song?
So if you crave tales of seamen, boats and tradegy, check out Revere. If you’re much more of a landlubber like myself, The Tide Inside is probably more your cup of tea.