Contrasting styles but equally on the money, Maps and Fly With Vampires continue a great week for Liverpool Sound City.
James Chapman’s Maps make gorgeous, swirling synth melodies which recall early My Bloody Valentine and the best of the early 90s shoegazers.
We’re hit by a triple keyboard/synth attack as James is joined by pals August and Sefa, with not a guitar in sight.
Debut was a delight but a new one is imminent and it certainly seems to have a sightly twisted, darker vibe. The band deliver the set almost as one song, barely pausing for breath between tracks, with percussion at the fore. The live sound doesn’t quite have the depth of their recorded output but there’s more than enough here to suggest Maps have once again found the right path.
by Andy Kelly
Maps: So Low, So High (Live on Channel M)
Kicking off in style Scousers Fly with Vampires began with a cover of The Undertones Teenage Kicks, seemingly unfazed by the modest crowd mostly made up of men in suits who proceeded to dance with open umbrellas.
Exchanging banter with the crowd, their sound drew from The La’s and The Last Shadow Puppets, with their track Lab Rat capturing the spirit of The Futureheads.
Paying and playing tribute to the late, great Mr Peel, this band represents everything that John stood for. Raw, unadulterated talent. His good work continues.
by Holly Simons
