Secret Machines

Combining so many different musical elements that people say just aren’t cool is no barrier to success and The Secret Machines should be considered a perfect embodiment of this. Their Krautrock flavoured passion borders on the prog rock at times but that no longer seems the dirty word it used to be. Make no mistake, on songs like ‘Lightning Blue Eyes’ or ‘Atomic Heels’, the three piece show they have an eye and ear for a commercial track but they know how to noodle. They also know how to hit the drums hard. Very hard.

The secret, as it were, about any good three piece is that there is no room for slack and every player must play their part and it’s fitting that the drums are shoved right up for this bands stage set-up as the pounding beat captures so much about what the band is all about. Yes, there are druggy lyrics and the guitar has a great melodic feel to it but when drummer Josh Garza takes the lead, the band comes alive. From opener ‘Dreaming of Dreaming’ all the way through to the two song encore, there was very little respite from the beat.

Its not the best they’ve ever been but the band seem back on the rails and when they get into their stride, the remaining tour dates (and hopefully shows to follow after) will showcase a band returning to claim the spot that so many tipped them for on their early promise. An encore featuring ‘Alone, Jealous and Stoned’ and ‘First Wave Intact’ is always to going to delight and leave the crowd exiting the venue with their hearts pumping fast, The Secret Machines just need to tighten up their middle section and they’ll be back playing bigger venues that King Tuts before too long.