Mumm-Ra

For more than five years Bexhill-On-Sea based Mumm-ra* have been writing and performing wonderfully confident pop songs, fuelled by synths and characterised by frontman James New*'s distinctive vocals, largely going unnoticed. Still at school when they formed, tonight they play Southampton's Hobbit, armed with a hatful of tunes and new-found confidence that sees them finally stepping out the shadows.

New’s ability to captivate live is instinctive, as a frontman he commands attention. His knack with a tune can only be described as genius – but not simple songs, on many of the tracks on offer tonight the band embed the melody amongst complex layers of intricate guitar playing, keyboards and drumming. At times it’s hard to believe the band barely 10 feet in front of you on stage are actually playing, such is the innocence of their appearance. I would pick out more individual song-titles, but it would be a difficult exercise considering they introduce them tonight as purely 'Song A', or 'Song C_' etc, the latter, incidentally, is a cracking tune. One song tonight, sung by guitar player Oli Frost, recalls Dark Side Of The Moon era Pink Floyd, before heading off in a Moly/65 Days Of Static-esque direction, or at least it would do if it didn’t end too soon.

They leave us with a couple of old tunes that withdraw any doubt (if you were cynical enough to have any in the first place) about the potential of this band. Nonsensically, they manage to come across as wonderfully shambolic whilst being tight as fuck - it really can’t be long before more people take notice.