The Joy Formidable & Bear Driver, Koko, London

How to avoid a debate on the death of the rock genre: distract with oblique literary references, and a discussion on it’s enumerate predictability. On their recent debut album ‘The Big Roar’, Joy Formidable regurgitated their pleasing, but two years old, mini album ‘Balloon’, added bells and whistles, and plus ca change, another perfect rock creation from the Orwellian house of big music corp.

Arriving to the emotive, slow build jams of ‘Whirring’, the Welsh trio run on zealot execution, distorted guitars and big, angst filled choruses. Superficially, the shrill vocal wanderings of the dreamy ‘Austere’ and driving drumbeat of ‘Cradle’ are executed perfectly, with calculated slickness; so much so, they elevate the heady change down of ‘The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade’, and epic nature of stadium colossal, ‘The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie’, to the lauded position of diverse and standout tracks.

After years spent honing their craft, to eerily polished levels, the live show is a mere accoutrement for the grunge rock exponents, with their trademark wall of sound, rolling guitar scapes, and demonstrable poses of glossy rock heroine, Ritzy Bryan; move over Wendy James.

If the only kryptonite in an otherwise flawless display is a lack of real variety and experimentation in your music, then it’s an A grade faux pas to follow a support act like Bear Driver, who mix bristling pop songs with grandoise choruses, and a playful use of instruments (everyone loves a keytar, ask Roland, or Casio in the 80s).

The six-piece band, from London, via the Leeds art scene, glide and rummage through a delightful set, the first plonk of xylophone and off-world synth, on opener, ‘A Thousand Samurais’, hinting at the sweet musical exploration about to unfold.

The dueling guitars, and fast drums of ‘No Time to Speak’, and rock steady thumping bass of ‘Colours Run’, stake their genuine musical credentials, while the upbeat, boy/girl vocal interplay, twinkly keyboards, and harpsichord shimmer of ‘Wolves’, delight with novel sonic texture.

The beautiful mélange reaches a peak with the catchy guitar riff, and rich, full vocal chorus of ‘Enemy’, before the sweet melodies, and epic, rousing guitars of ‘Fugitive’, leave a spellbound crowd mooting; predictably loud perfection is oft not a patch on chaotically beautiful noise.