Two years on from a slot on the NME Awards tour, Metronomy returned to Rock City with a new album of 70s-influenced, yet modern day electronic pop, in the form of their top ten album, Love Letters. The quartet, who formed in Devon in the 90s, led by frontman Joseph Mount, performed to a captivated crowd of teens and adults who appeared entranced throughout the upbeat 90 minute show. Love Letters’ euphoric Motown chorus and jazz saxophone outro, saw Joseph swap his guitar for a tambourine, with bassist Olugbenga bopping his head to the unlikely festival-ready anthem. Later, I’m Aquarius has all the “shoop doo wah”s of an old classic while Joseph tells the story of incompatible lovers. The Upsetter and Reservoir focus on the resulting cycle of love with contrastingly upbeat key chords, whereas Month of Sundays mixes old-fashioned choral vocals with jangly guitar riffs. The Look, featured on Mercury Music Prize nominated album, The English Riviera (2011), comes after Joseph checks his crowd are drunk for St. Patrick’s Day with its infectious electronica and rhythmic drum beat matched perfectly with summery golden lighting. The Bay, with its foot tapping synths and bongo-drum beats meet the psychedelic flashing stage colours while female drummer, Anna Prior, gives an impressive lead vocal on Everything Goes My Way. Persistent chants bring the band back on stage for the simplistic yet wildly melodic, Heartbreaker, from pre-fame album, Nights Out (2008) along with earlier hit, Radio Ladio. Joseph says: “Nottingham, we will we be back very soon”, leading into The Most Immaculate Haircut, where he thanks each band member while swigging from a bottle of Corona, signing off by saying: “It’s nice to have made it 20 feet from Stealth where we first played back in the 90s.”
By Ben Jolley
