Reviewed on 1st June 2011.

InSatellites

Live at The Library on Friday, 27th May 2011

The BBC Introducing cameras are back at 360 Club for another Friday night of strong performances from the best local bands around. The evening kicks off with Leeds College of Music's Little Parades with their immensely popular brand of ambient post-rock. There is a tendency in post-rock music (especially with young and relatively inexperienced bands) to be extreme, often veering between obnoxiously loud and indecipherably quiet. Little Parades however avoid this entirely creating massive soundscapes but with an often subtle and nuanced sound. The addition of a female vocalist tonight adds a further layer to their sound as the male/female vocals complement each other beautifully. This variety of music is not always the easiest to enjoy live but they keep the set relatively short and manage to captivate the majority of the packed room.

Keyboard led Claire Cameron Band are up next debuting their new video before a typically captivating performance from the trio. Their fusion of rock, folk, acoustic and pop is well received largely down to a great deal of respect for the front woman and the songs she composes. The set is comprised mainly of delicate compositions with excellent vocal shifts and toned down but beautifully executed guitar parts. There is even an unexpected Queens of the Stone Age cover which again is vocally strong and entertaining but lacks the potency of the original, probably due to the lack of a heavy rhythm section. That said, most of those gathered enjoy it and overall this is another consistent performance from one of the most established bands on the circuit.

Northern Torch are rapidly becoming a 360 Club favourite with their pop infused indie rock and there is a great deal of anticipation surrounding their performance tonight. Songs like 'Yesterday' are so lyrically earnest that you could imagine them featuring on the Scrubs soundtrack but manage to avoid sounding vacuous due to the complex guitar work and unpredictable drumming. The simplicity of the song structures is deceptive and doesn't really do justice to the excellent work of all four musicians who are tighter than ever today. Many here are familiar with the band and there are cries for fan favourite 'Scream' from the moment they take to the stage. However, their new soppier single 'Take My Hand' is probably their best song with a stronger chorus and more interesting verses and the video isn't half bad either.

Last up are InSatellites, an alternative progressive band who are still settling into their sound. Their songs all borrow heavily from disparate 'alternative' influences sounding like Muse, Weezer and Soundgarden at various points in their set. Their song structures are dense with some first-rate instrumental work all round and they show their more delicate side with an accomplished cover of Jose Gonzales 'Teardrop'. There is a mid-set lull as they play their older more punky material but they finish strongly and would do well to persevere with a more progressive sound. That said InSatellites are one of the best local bands around at present and if tonight is anything to go by they could go on to big things.