First impressions favourable
No Hope In New Jersey are a Manchester based band that I've been looking forward to seeing since I had to leave during their first song at the recent Papercut Fanzine launch. They have received a lot of positive press and with a single (Decline) out on the 25th July they look set to go on to higher things.
Today they benefit from a good sound mix, which makes their brand of good, solid rock tunes come across very well. Two songs in and I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about. Complicated vocal harmonies are wrapped around busy guitar work, there's plenty going on in the songs and whilst the singing is perhaps a little light in places they retain a hard musical edge.
The band get into it but with limited between song banter they fail to even tell people who they are, which when so many filter in throughout the set, is a missed opportunity.
The fourth song of the set is a great short and fast number during which the vocal harmonies work particularly well and it's surprising that the audience reaction is more polite than enthusiastic. The mid-paced songs, whilst cultured and intelligent don't go down so well but then you can't please everyone! They certainly have a radio friendly sound and on this evidence I'd expect to see much more of these guys very soon.