The Maccabees, 02 Academy, Liverpool

There is a lot of talk (and I mean a lot of talk) about the new album from The Horrors and how remarkably different it is from their debut. However if you really want to hear a second album taking on leaps and bounds then you need to listen out for The Maccabees’ forthcoming LP ‘Wall Of Arms’.

Tonight’s show is the first chance for a lot of the bands fans to hear the new material and they get ample opportunity with roughly half the set comprising of fresh tracks. This does perhaps lead to the occasional lull in atmosphere as the unknowns lead to intrigue as opposed to screaming and dancing. Whilst the crowd assembled may be unfamiliar with the new stuff, this writer has heard ‘Wall Of Arms’ and can confirm the songs are already sounding bigger and braver than the established favourites from ‘Colour It In’. Kicking off with the free download ‘No Kind Words’, with its deep and rich vocals backed with the post-punk rhythms the band are renowned for is a great start. Building on the momentum ‘Can You Give It’, ‘Seventeen Hands’ and ‘One Holding Hand’ sound monumental with a new found confidence and epic sense of melody now running through the bands tales of romance and burgeoning relationships.

Inevitably however it is the old favourites the crowd surge and scream for the most. It’s with good reason too, ‘X-Ray’ and ‘Precious Time’ are given a fresh impetus and joie de vivre whilst ‘About Your Dress’ charges along nicely. There is the odd false start such as new b-side ‘The Accordion Song’ sounding OK but it must be said guitarist Felix’s voice is not a strong point of the band, especially when you consider they could have played the much missed ‘Latchmere’ in its place. Similarly ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is no longer representative of the band and sounds more and more like what it is best known as - a mobile phone advert jingle.

Minor quibbles aside this is a triumphant show for a band leaning heavily on a largely unheard record. As the set ends with the forthcoming single ‘Love You Better’ you can’t help looking around the room at the people singing and dancing, then looking to the stage and seeing the same joy reflected back from the band and not begin to suspect that The Maccabees might just be the best young band in the country right now.