Model Railway Exhibition/Polar Night/Buildings
Catch, London
18/08/2011

For a band so darn derivative – snaps of early Editors blend with White Lies before tumbling into Muse-ish noodling and the American rock of Incubus – you’d expect to find Buildings a bit disappointing. As it is, the anguished quartet’s popularly constructed indie is as enjoyable as it is predictable, but a fire of inspiration would suit these patently talented boys no end. No less professional in their attitude are Polar Nights but unlike Buildings, their ambient rock doesn’t command attention. It’s clear the quintet, with their samples and strongly structured vocals, can craft a crushingly intense song or two but this performance just doesn’t quite hit the mark. The Brighton boys are worth keeping an eye on though – we just need to see a little more.

Rounding off the night are shoegaze trio Model Railway Exhibition. Despite the twee name, it’s all distortion-heavy walls of sound from these guys. In true genre-typical fashion, the band barely look up from the floor; the guitarist bent double in the corner. MRE eschew a drummer for a drum machine, quickening the pace and never quite allowing the drone to become too heavy. After a somewhat shaky first song, the trio find their feet, easing into lush, textured layers of melodic, fuzzy riffs and droned vocals – ‘It’s Been Forever’ a definite highlight.

Louise McHenry