Love Rarely Electrify Key Club

It was great to head to the Key Club in Leeds this week to catch Love Rarely play their debut headline show, and on the evidence of the performance, this will be the first of many if there is any justice in the world. The quiet/loud sound is something that is very familiar and has run through alternative music like a stick of Blackpool rock, but it's been a while since I've heard it done in as fresh a style as Love Rarely.

This is a band who can seemingly do anything, blending fabulously intricate, textured angular rhythms, whip-smart drumming and furious grooves into a marvellous coherent burst of energy and alternative timings. It's complex and primaeval. Underpinning (or surely that's overpinning ?) everything is the visceral power of front person Courtney Levitt.

Courtney could, I think, sing a takeaway menu and make you want to either declare your undying love for someone or alternatively sign up for a revolutionary army. It's a mix of awe-inspiring raw power that will shake foundations allied to a tenderness that will soothe your soul. It's been a long time since I've been as impressed.

There's a lot of musical elements to this jigsaw. What so many bands get wrong is tthat they have one part of their make-up that dominates or overpowers the rest.
Love Rarely seem to have this sussed. They are completely coherent and in sync with each other despite the different elements they throw into the mix. All of them are seriously skilled in what they do, and it's clear that they have spent time crafting their sound. Elements of post-punk/rock/emo/post-hardcore and others are thrown into the musical soup, creating a sound that is very tasty indeed.

Courtney wears her heart on her sleeve; there is a raw emotional intensity to the songwriting and performance, and she surfs the musical waves created by the band to thrilling intent, and it’s great to see the Key Club pretty full to witness it. There is a maturity to the performance that belies the fact that this is their first headline slot, but surely it’s going to be the first of many. Love Rarely looks like a force to be reckoned with.