Birmingham`s Solar Eyes are in essence Glenn Smyth and Sebastian Maynard Francis who create technicoloured tunes that stretch across acid-dipped sonic landscapes and blissed-out melodies that have drawn comparisons to Primal Scream and the Chemical Brothers. It`s twenty months since we were in this same venue for the launch of the band`s self-titled debut album release and today we are back for a hometown date in promotion of their sophomore album ‘Live Freaky! Die Freaky!.’
Special guest tonight is Louie Miles who grew up in the West Midlands and is now based in Liverpool who has performed in Liverpool’s Astles and Beija Flo’s band ,as well as the Birmingham based band, SUGARTHIEF.
Louie shared a tender thirty minute set that included mainly new songs as they fitted the acoustic nature of tonight`s event. Amongst the numbers were `Colours of Life`, `Ghost` and `Comfort` but he also shared a track from his forthcoming album with `In the Park`. As his set was concluding he was going to cut a number but decided to play it, a cover of Leonard Cohen`s `So Long, Marianne` before leaving us with the upbeat `We`ve got all we need`. It was a really moving and enjoyable half hour and a taster of what this young singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has to offer.
The `Rocky` theme belts out as tonight`s trio Glenn, Seb and Liam take to the stage and open with a kind of blistering seeming remix of `She Kissed The Gun` along with `Alcatraz` a number whose title is a kind of metaphor about a pretty toxic relationship and `(At Least) Paranoia Loves Me` all from the band`s self-titled debut album.
We get a flavour of the new album ‘Live Freaky! Die Freaky!` with the racing `Set the Night on Fire`, the dreamy `A Couple of Kisses` and the trippy `Murdering Hippies!`. Glenn explains the concept of the album with its Manson Family lore, CIA conspiracies, and savage California dreaming’s as he gets obsessed by certain subjects and is led down a rabbit hole.
Songs that have become staples of the last twenty months follow with `Let`s Run Away` which reflects on the realisation of past mistakes, the contemplative `Dreaming of the Moon` with its spaghetti western tinges and the mellow Spector like `Top of the World` with its “wall of sound” vibe.
The home stretch heads back in time to an early EP with the psychedelic `Nothings For Free` and another belter from the new release with the spaced out `Time Waits for No One`. As they say all good things come to an end and the band take their leave with `Take Me to the Man` which fragments into The Stooges `I Wanna Be Your Dog` and that`s it and Birmingham`s psychedelic cosmic explorers are gone.
The band have already been championed by Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, featured in The Observer, and recently appeared on the TalkSport Breakfast Show, so the future certainly looks bright. I have to say tonight really was a show that was not only really tight but had some truly interesting, complementing and enhancing backing graphics. There`s a couple of shows left in Bristol and Sheffield and I’d encourage you to attend as it might be the last time these guys play in such intimate venues.
