Chaser
Proud Galleries, London
11/07/2011

Tonight, four-piece indie-poppers Chaser are headlining the Hot Vox Festival at Proud Galleries in Camden. The group launch headfirst into their set with ‘Never Really Wondered Why’ – a track that excites with its pulsing synth and soaring vocals. Instantly it feels like witnessing an established band that have already achieved more than this nascent outfit. Not surprisingly then, some of the members have previously come close to mainstream success: guitarist Robbie Parkin and keyboardist Tim Miles used to be in the band Royworld who signed to Virgin, had a top 30 single, and supported We Are Scientists and Guillemots on tour.

Completing the Chaser line-up are drummer Matt Jones, and Frontman Tom Eccleshall, whose distinctly British vocal falsetto style, (dare we say it) has a touch of Chris Martin about it. Allusions to certain stadium bands aside, Chaser certainly write big, memorable tracks that have undeniable sing-a-long quality. Whilst the influence of acts ranging from OMD to Everything Everything is evident, Chaser will also appeal to fans of Two Door Cinema Club and Friendly Fires. Tracks such as ‘Lost In Life’ and ‘Can’t Stop Time’ feature a thumping bass drum that makes you want to dance. Elsewhere, on songs such as ‘Blood’, the bass drum becomes more erratic as the band seek to demonstrate their superior musical abilities by playing in tricky shifting time signatures. The effect is subtle, however, and by no means takes their music into the geeky realms of math-rock.

Chaser are a real band’s band – a group of musicians that care deeply about the sounds their instruments make, not just the notes they play. Keep an eye on them.

David Tshulak