The Brunettes - LONDON KICKS - Fashion, Music, Art, Film, London and Going Out

May 13, 2008 at 15:38

The Brunettes are cute. I'm not sure a band that wants to be taking wholly seriously would like to be called "cute," but there's little else you can think of when listening to their lighthearted indie-pop songs that sparkle and glitter with marimba charms and clarinet character. The New Zealand duo (with friends, making a total of six on stage) played at Under The Westway on Tuesday, April 1, as a part of a Not In Kansas Anymore and Campari Safari joint gig night.

The small stage reached its limit with the array of musicians and instruments. Aside from the obvious guitar, bass and drums set-up, the band members pulled out a seemingly endless collection of instruments, including the tambourine, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, glockenspiel, marimba, triangle and, of course, the clarinet used by female lead, Heather Mansfield.

Mansfield and the male lead, Jonathan Bree, have equal and opposite voices, making their switch-off parts and duets more animated than the normal boy-girl twosome. Hers is girly, fresh and as sweet as the black and white Mickey Mouse onesie shorts that she wore for the gig. His is deep and almost abrasive, probably because it's not the kind of singing voice you'd expect from a skinny boy with a striped shirt and disheveled hair.

The band seemed comfortable onstage and they performed a few select oldies, but mostly showcased songs from their most recent album Structure and Cosmetics, released in 2007. They will return to London on April 10 to do a supporting gig for Shout Out Louds at Bush Hall. This could be your chance to see them live. Why should you trek out to West London for this performance?

Because The Brunettes are friendly and encouraging, welcoming audience members to move closer and dance, while the band churns out pure bouncy pop with no shortage of chimes and dings and smiles. Add in some perfectly timed hand clapping, and you get a display of instrumentation that goes beyond good beats. Their songs have something, some standout element that you can't quite pinpoint. Spice? Flair? Cuteness? You decide.

Emilia Brock