Mystery Jets, Johnny Flynn at The Plug, Sheffield, April 22
Tonight as Johnny Flynn takes to the stage it appears flannel shirts and barn dances are the next phase of English folk. Tinged with boyish looks and a voice beyond his years, few can deny the warm glow he spreads through the room. It's hard not to draw your eye away from the innocent lad on stage and his band who are full of wholesome melodies and two part harmonies. However there is little that draws him apart from his contemporaries, and as he pulls out a banjo, you get the impression a few Yeehaa!s wouldn't go amiss.
When Mystery Jets released their debut album they were searching for their identity. Full of harsh rhythms and quirky tales, Making Dens was deliciously odd. But now with a little help from Erol Alkan the group have become true pop stars in the making. Instead of a selection of cutlery scattering the stage we are graced with the sound of klaxons and synthesizers, as a surprising throng of young girls surge towards the centre.
Yet, as the group rush through the first three tracks of over twenty tonight, their live show appears to be buckling under their new musical direction. Their carefree attitude is highlighted on stage as the vocal harmony parts in 'Young Love' are neglected, the space filled now by the electronic instrumentation. There is also less focus on theatrics, with the recent departure of fifth member Henry taking its toll. That all said, as the band settle into their performance, shining ballad 'Flakes' makes a brief reference to their previous guitar-geared sound. It's a haunting moment which touches the audience before 'Two Doors Down' whisks you into an Eighties dancefloor anthem.
There's still room for a little nostalgia as the group return to the shouts of “Zootime!” But, now, who cares? The Jets have found their musical direction and Eel Pie Island is only a distant memory.
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