★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
In March of 2017 Aberdeen's The Little Kicks released one of the year's best albums, Shake Off Your Troubles. The record is perfectly mixed - giving equal space to moody synths, shiny guitars and evocative harmonies, while drums and bass oscillate between buoyant and restrained with precision, sonically defying line after line of hauntingly honest and vulnerable lyrics. The band are renowned for their irresistible incarnation of melodic indie rock with a mature disco twist.
Delivering on such a meticulous studio sound can present a challenge at times, trying to balance the intricacies of performance against the unknown variables of a live setting. Yet without much fanfare The Little Kicks seem to have mastered both studio and stage over the last few years, consistently proving to be the most enjoyable band on a club or festival line-up. Having graciously stolen much of the limelight when they last played Tut's for 2018's New Year's Revolution festival back in January, they return to the iconic venue to headline as part of its Summer Night's series.
With each band on the night contributing just 30 minutes of music, impressions are limited. The first of three supports is First Tiger, a band from Glasgow who draw on wide ranging influences to produce an equally diverse, thoughtful and full-bodied style of Scottish indie pop music. There's a hint of southern rock - but think more early Kings of Leon than Lynyrd Skynyrd - it's a little off the mainstream with some added late night vibes. It's pleasing to see a good turn out from the outset, and especially to see different members of the audience singing along with their respective favourites.
