SOFT HEARTED SCIENTISTS | LIVE REVIEW

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Fri 14 Nov

A lot of Soft Hearted Scientists’ music is about Wales. Their songs concern myths and magic, monsters and Hammer Horror films (I’m a fan!), mountains and the ocean, love, death and everyday things like Tesco and council tax. Sign me up!

Dylan Line and Paul Jones both play a variety of instruments – the former like a mad DJ, going from machine to machine, turning knobs, hitting keys; Michael Bailey is the bassist and chief songwriter Nathan Hall is on duty with an acoustic guitar. Hall handles most of the lead vocals, with Jones taking over on a few tunes. I’m not a musician, but I think they did a great job: wonderful folk-pop-psych guitars and mandolin, punchy banjo.

Bouncy drinking song Dark Departments makes me feel like I should be holding a big beer stein and clinking it with my neighbour. Arrival Song and Away are enchanting, recalling The Beatles and XTC. Light Years To Nothing has to be the most beautiful song about death I’ve ever heard – heck, one of the most beautiful songs, period – breathtaking harmonies reminding me of The Hollies. More fine harmonising characterizes Mountain Delight, likewise first rate playing by everyone. For an encore, Line sings lead on the Norwegian Wood-like Hawthorn, before the band close with their new single, The Ups And The Downs. Very catchy rhythms mesh with more lovely harmonies from all and a rollicking chorus.

I want to hear more from The Soft Hearted Scientists, fun and thought-provoking as they are, and will definitely attend when they next play live (hopefully sooner rather than later – local gigs are pretty much an annual event these days). Nathan Hall must have a cast of thousands wandering around in his head (in a good way!), and I‘m intrigued. You should be, too.

words RHONDA LEE REALI