Getting ID’d at the bar is never a good start to one’s evening, especially when one is 26 and doesn’t actually have any I.D on them. In fairness to the pained looking barman in The Wilmington Arms there is a helluva lot of young looking people in here- ahhh, Wednesday night piss-ups in Sixth Form!- and he does take the time to patiently explain that he’s been ordered to ask everyone who comes to the bar.
After to’ing, fro’ing, and not-quite-but-nearly-begging he relents and gets the Guinness we are lusting after. Problem solved, we turn our attention to the merry band at the front who are a charmingly ramshackle folk collective it transpires are called Cocos Lovers. With some wonderful harmonies and the requisite girl playing flute in what looks like her uncle’s jumper, they are very much the sound of now, and the crowd seem to know it as they stand transfixed (other than a couple of ‘wacky’ girls in colourful leggings who are raving at the back). Something approaching a revelation, they have apparently released their own album which is a good sign as it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them being gobbled up by a streamlining major with Mumfords in its eyes. Sadly, it seems that they lose some of their immediacy on record, but they are certainly one to watch.
If Cocos Lovers are the sound of now, then Darling Bones could be seen as the sound of the Noughties. A grubby scuzz of Libertines inspired London punk, they leap and skip around the stage with something approaching abandon as they belt out their tales of their travels through the night. They’re all technically proficient; not least the bassist who, despite wearing a fur jacket that makes him look like an extra out of Almost Famous, frequently leads the way, especially with ‘Comatose Part Two’ that has got a jogging little bassline straight out of ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’.
The lead, despite being in traditional leather jacket, trilby and ball-scrunching trousers garb, vocally bears resemblance to East End fop Eddie Argos at times. It is during these moments of slurred, almost-spoken delivery, that Darling Bones (great name) are most promising and seem to take on a sense of their own identity. This is massively important as, unfortunately for them, bands of four reasonably talented lads making a jaunty noise and singing about going out are not uncommon on the London scene. This is not to disparage the band and there will always be a place for this sort of thing, but trying to take it further might well be a tough thing to do, especially considering everyone’s going gaga for a more reverb-heavy, DIY garage rock sound at the moment. Luckily they do have some tunes in their armoury, not least ‘Careful How You Tread’ with it’s memorable chorus of ’to some extent with us/ It was always just a game/ Swap snakes and ladders/ For cloaks and daggers.’ ’Hollow’ also showcases lead singer James’ voice in its drawling element, whilst featuring some spiky guitars that will make fans of Franz prick their ears up.
Whatever happens to Darling Bones, they will certainly be able to say they are a hundred times better than the band that followed them; The Standards. If ever a band lived up to its name it was these. Looking like Snow Patrol’s marginally better looking cousins, their tunes are so bland they make Keane sound like Slayer. Avoid.
Posted In Live Reviews, Feb 04 2010.
Words - Simon Burns