Swim Deep, The Ritz, Manchester

With the music press following hot on their heels, Birmingham ‘grunge pop’ group Swim Deep open up for Spector at the Manchester Ritz with a relatively warm reception at the ripe old hour of 7.15 pm. They sport a casual jeans and tee-shirt look which is well teamed with their use of light melodies albeit with a darker undercurrent.

Single ‘King City’ is a future indie classic, combining a thumping bass riff and shoegaze-like keyboard with a sparse lead vocal and legendary declaration to ‘Fuck your romance. I want to pretend / That Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend.’ Elsewhere the songs remind you more of having a Mister Softie on a summer’s day (‘Beach Justice’) whilst holding hands with a girl in a vintage smock dress (Note to band: this idea is not copyrighted should you need a treatment for the video). ‘Honey’ is of a similar vein but has the swagger of a Brummie Tom Meighan if he were dipped in sugar and lightly coated in Jesus and Mary Chain vibes.

Overall, Swim Deep prove themselves as a highly promising new band who will hopefully shine more on stage once they move up the bill to headlining their own shows. Blending grunge with pop melodies and some faded seaside glamour, their music is something certainly worth soaking up.