Waylayers at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Waylayers at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

08 June, 2011
by: Mewcy

There's been vocal comparisons to Chris Martin but it might be a while until Waylayers can think about Glastonbury.

'It was like a Powerpoint presentation with spelling mistakes.' This is what my friend Michael turned to me and said after a contemplative drag on his cigarette as we headed home from seeing Waylayers at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen. It is exactly the sort of summary you may expect to hear from a business graduate, but I couldn't help but think he'd hit the nail right on the head in that one small slice of analogy. Please, allow me to explain.

From the off this gig seemed a pretty good shout. Free entry into a venue nestled at the epicentre of hipsterville is a welcome retreat for a few beers after a long day in the office. Waylayers, a group that still has that lovely 'new' smell about them are genuinely a rather alluring band. Having shotgunned a coveted spot on a Kitsuné Maison compilation as well as getting what the kids might call 'bigged up' by Steve Lamaq, there is plenty about their creative presence to whet the appetite. Having listened to a few tracks online I found myself sold on what sounded like thoroughly wholesome, electro-laden indie pop. But the recorded-to-live conversion doesn't always work out exactly how we want it to does it?

Their sound is clearly influenced by masters of synth pop Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode as well as more recent acts like Delphic and Foals, but the key aspects of electronica were struggling to keep their head above the live instrumentals and struggling vocals. The times when the hooks of sequencing could shine through provided the strongest parts of the set- I think it was 'Sinking In' that ended up sounding a little like the rich electro beat from Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill'- an unlikely comparison to crop up but welcomed nonetheless. 

The Kitsuné pick 'Fires' in particular was truly lost to an awkward vocal performance where the shirt tugs and on-stage wriggling looked more like a product of discomfort rather than artistic expression in the heat of the moment. It can't all be blamed on the singer - his mic was just so loud that he simply wasn't audible. It really is a shame as the voice which has so often been likened to that of Foals' Yannis Philippakis and Chris Martin should have been knockout. Despite these disappointments, it really wasn't awful. Tracks such as mega-Delphic-like 'Hear No Lies' and 'Big Machines' sounded great rubbish sound or no, and instrumentally Waylayers are really polished. My eye could not help but be drawn to the fervour of their entranced drummer who really gave the performance a glimpse of what it needed- some assertion.

There was just a distinct lack of stage presence. They are a new band but the set made me feel that maybe they are still finding their feet on the live stage. It was like they hadn't really grasped the notion that this was their show and we were there to see them- duly highlighted by the momentary head scratching and bemusement upon being requested an encore. 

Not all bands need to do the 'banter' thing- the world needs accountants as well as Coco the Clown. But there does need to be a show of confidence in themselves- here comes that analogy. It was like Waylayers have absolutely everything they need in their grasp to be nothing short of a success. They have a keen understanding of a genre that looks only set to grow- it's accessible, it's in demand, it's commercially friendly. They are technically gifted and they have a fanbase that want to see them do their thing. So when they're stood up in front of an audience next they need to remember all of these things - appreciate that they know what they're talking about, deliver an assertive and fully polished presentation... but run spellcheck.

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Mewcy