JKLMNO Benicassim
JKLMNO. No, I’m not reciting the alphabet, that’s the name of the winning band in Supajam’s Fast Track to Benicassim competition. The Wrexham based outfit triumphed against 1’000 bands and from their early doors set it’s easy to see why. An accidental collision of band member and equipment threatens their start but it’s unusual to find an unsigned one showing this much confidence.
Choruses build and pulsate, readily embracing the hope and candor that the likes of Snow Patrol and Sigur Ros possess with their endearing hits. The song they entered the competition with, The War Song, even pails in comparison to the rest of their set. In fact with a production gloss-over Nothing To Lose could easily become their singalong, arms aloft anthem. At one point it’s just lead singer Carl Harrison and the drummer Nick Roberts, stripping the sound down to its emotive bare bones. Harrison almost has the look of a budding Chris Martin at this point, concentrating on his keyboard before delivering sincerely soft lyrics.
It soon becomes a well rounded set. Gradually lulling the sound down with ornate feather-light guitar melodies leaving the lyrics to shine through whilst they aren’t afraid of ballsy, proud chords either. All this assured playing renders their complex name a paradox amongst such seemingly effortless songs. They end on a song entitled Future Potential, as if they needed to tell us.