Santalum who may or may not be named after the woody flowering plant are a local five-piece band who shared around twenty-five minutes of melodic and at times funky numbers which included `Breathe Me`, Falling Down`, Fly Away` and `Freedom`. An enjoyable short set which gave a flavour as to what this quintet can offer and certainly a band to look out for.
Wurlitzer are another local outfit and take to the stage where they stand still as a wurlitzer circus like organ introduction sound rings out. This quirky sextet shared a thirty-minute set of fairly observational tunes such as `What Colour Is the Sky Today`, `Eat Your Greens`, And the Bonus Ball Is..` along with `Sodium` a song about eating too much salt. At times, the band were a little prog like but I have to say I always enjoy a group that uses a flute in their sound. They seem to play a fair bit around the second city so i`m sure it won`t be too long before I get a chance to catch them again.
China Bears released their debut album `Participation Trophy` in July which overflowed with songs about hope, loss, grief, friendships, relationships and overcoming feelings of inadequacy. They arrive in Birmingham at the tail end of an eight-date tour of the country to promote said album. Probably my favourite number `Total Communication Breakdown` opens the show which understandably, is mostly filled with numbers from their debut album. The wavering `I Will Break My Own Heart`, tender `Blue Eyes`, aching `North Star` and quite dreamy `Beck and Call` about being there for somebody which can prove difficult quickly follow before the quartet come up for air.
The fellas head back in time and share a couple of older tracks with `Someone Kill this Party` and `Statue Still` before returning to `Participation Trophy` and the intense ballad like `I Always Wish You Were Here (With Me)`. `Gracie` written about singer Ivan`s best friend retains that delicate fragility of the recorded track while the final numbers the rousing `Easy Kill` morphed or flowed into the potent `Sunday` with lyrics that have a compelling vulnerability about them. The album`s title track `Participation Trophy` closes out this hour long show and is a superbly emotionally melancholic piece to end on, especially as it`s stripped back with piano and vocals adding a further poignant passion to this final offering.
Although China Bears have at times a heartbreaking intensity about them, they also have some delightfully thought provoking, uplifting and emotionally rousing numbers as well. Ivan, Frazer, James, and Dean for me are set up to play stadiums and i`m sure it can only be a matter of time before they do.
