WHENYOUNG
Other Voices
The Other Voices stage reminds me of the old McGonagles on South Anne Street in Dublin. It's got that potentially depraved church-hall vibe, which perfectly suits the London-based Limerick band Whenyoung. Proving that the bass player is the coolest one in the band, Aoife Power works her guitar, a red jumpsuit, and her energetic vocal range with relish. Two songs in, Heaven on Earth is foot-tapping, and Niall Burns makes his guitar sing along. Is it the Limerick connection that makes me think of Dolores O'Riordan? Or is it a lineage of women vocalists with guts and power? I'm also getting The Cardigans, and Wendy James. Whenyoung have a pedigree, but the problem is I'm distractingly reminded of too many other bands. Halfway through, Power breaks into The Cranberries' Dreams, and the crowd erupts. It's high energy, punctuated with Andrew Flood's insistent drumming, and I realise I'm not wrong about the similarity with O'Riordan. Things meander a little after that, before picking up again to conclude the short set with a flourish. I can't help thinking they should have finished with Dreams. And at the same time I'm wishing they did more to make a sound that's all their own. The ingredients are there. Then it wouldn't be so much a homage as something handed on.
