Haven

There’s a knowing glow about Haven tonight. Not just in the way they exchange glances with each other, but in the sense that every one of the new songs from their second LP All For A Reason has a sublime beauty about it. Gary Briggs’ majestic voice needs no introduction, and lacking the pompous theatrics of Matt or the whiney arrogance of Walsh, his retrained presence is refreshing. It’s fair to say that their style hasn’t undergone any major facelifts, but tracks like ‘Change Direction’ and the awesome ‘Have No Fear’ have such splintering melodies that this is never really a problem.

Whatever grudges one may have against Haven’s incestuous Smiths relationship (Johnny Marr produces again and co-writes a track on their record), breakthrough singles like ‘Let It Live’ are the kind of tear-induced pop epics that Keane aspire to. Fact. It’s great music.

If Haven fall down, it’s in the lack of any pace changes in their set. There’s no quiet/loud – just consistency and for some this is boring. Anyone with some mid-nineties candles still alight however, will find their under-hyped emotion to be as life-affirming as anything. Anyone listening with truthful ears will tell you that, as songs, many of Haven’s new tracks piss all over anything on the forthcoming Franz Ferdinand LP.

None of this is about competition though because, if we are to believe correctly, 2004 is the year that proper songwriters take back the charts and ‘indie’ breathes again. Lighters in the air then.