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Isle of Wight Festival 2005

Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June 2005
Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 2DN, England MAP
w/e £75 or £90 with camping, £35 day, campervans £75 - SOLD OUT

Daily capacity: 35,000

Thank you IOW for getting this band on the bill. The first impression is that they’re all pretty big. They have a sound similar to The Thrills, which tricks me into thinking they’re American for a while.

You’ll have to bare with me as I don’t know the song names, but they open with ‘I don’t want to lose your love’ and it’s a summery sound that snuggles up to the part of your brain that likes chocolate and makes you feel wonderful terrific harmonies and hidden depths, wonderful.

Tracks are mainly off the album released tomorrow (13th June). Forever Lost is very reminiscent of the band bound to draw comparisons to The Mamas and The Papas but with hidden guitar complexities, stronger drumbeats and more tempo. They create just such a good vibe it’s almost a religious experience and the lyrics go straight into your head, I was still singing “Love is Just a Game’ on the ferry home.

They tell us that this is the biggest show they’ve ever played and they’re not in the least bit phased. "I See You, You See Me" is the first of the set of songs that they tell us no one has heard of. It’s another mellow tune with well-written lyrics and not too dissimilar to early REM.

Their vocals are distinctive and penetrating and the crowd clap along to the song of teen angst "Love's a Game" with a well crafted harmony and a great hook, a future hit. There are pockets of the crowd dancing and it’s a sizeable crowd. Well most acts have been telling people to go and see them.

‘She Don’t Love Me Like You’ has a terrific drum backbeat and up tempo. All their songs showcase their vocal talents. Amazingly for the second time in one weekend (the other being Razorlight) we get to hear one of those hand piano instruments that you blow into played as a solo and it gets rapturous applause.

Their last song is dripping in country and so about Bars obviously and has a driving beat to jig to. In fact a lot of the tunes are country tinged, they’re harmonious to the end and hugely well received much like Snow Patrol last year we’ve witnessed the start of something big.