- They’re playing Electric Circus, in Market Street, which is one of the best wee Edinburgh venues. It’s even right next Waverley, so if you’re from the boondocks like us you can catch a late one home.
- They’re supporting the Keston Cobblers Club, who sound interesting, as the name suggests – kind of nu-folk with a bit of electronics thrown in. But Wildflowers are worth the admission money (only ten of your English pounds) alone.
- Their new album, On the Inside is terrific. I meant to do a longer review, but in the interests of getting this preview done, there’s not a single weak track on it. Favourites for me at the moment include ‘Where the Flowers Don’t Grow,’ from the original EP, and the closer, ‘Skyscrapers,’ a stirring anthem I can imagine singing along to when they headline Glasto. And quite possibly before that too.
- Musically, they’re pretty much exactly how I want a band to sound. Specifically:
- Great songwriting – melodic, strong lyrics, telling a story. They reference Fleetwood Mac and the L.A. Canyons singer-songwriter community of the Seventies – y’know, where Venus Carmichael comes from?
- Lead singer Siddy Bennet’s vocals.
- Her sister Kit Bennet’s backing vocals, keyboards, accordion, and just about everything else.
- The guitarist guy’s understated but effective use of both acoustics and electrics – nothing flashy, but he knows how to play. Plus, I’m not, but if you’re that way inclined, he has a kind of Johnny Depp thing going on with the hat and beard.
- These guys should be far better known than they are. I saw them first supporting Tom Odell in Leeds, and they stole the show for me (although he was pretty good too – Daughter and Heiress’s choice, of course).
- I can’t go. I’ll be in Madrid, sipping a cold beer in the Plaza Mayor. So you have to.
andrewcferguson 