10

Nipping up the Mere for a snifter?

Bleached Wail (see what they did there?) are a noisy indie rock outfit from Alsager of all places. Having spent some considerable time in Alsager some years ago it’s no mean feat that they have managed to break out of it’s tiny confines and secure tours with the likes of Cage the Elephant.

From the stage banter it seems that a large portion of the crowd have come with the band but even so there’s a decent number in the Music Box. It’s clear early on that they are a good band with some solid tunes backed with a lively performance. Bleached Wail are certainly not your average indie dross, they deliver everything with a bit of grit and determination and are all the better for it. The vocals are strong and urgent, the rhythms driven and they top it off with some catchy choruses. The harmonies are well worked if simple and the overall impression is pretty tight.

The bassist plays keyboards on a couple of tracks and on the last song it sounds great. We only get to see about 20 minutes of their set but it’s enough for them to make an impression and judging by the reaction of the crowd of 40 or 50, partisan or not, we’re going to hear more from these guys.