When Sunflower Bean last played at Bleach during last year’s Great Escape, they were riding a wave of hype with their vivacious take on psych rock. However their début, at the time of the show merely weeks old, saw the band keen to prove themselves to be more than just a one-trick pony, and Human Ceremony is an altogether subtler affair.

After one of our local favourites, the excellent Our Girl, get the room warmed up with their shoe-gazing indie, it’s Oscar Scheller’s turn to step up, although it's just Oscar to me and you. His indie-pop is a whole mix of different bits and bobs, flitting from Gary Numan-esque new wave to reggae offbeat rhythms. He has baritone croon slightly reminiscent of Morrissey but without any of the romanticism or acidity. A bit of idiosyncrasy is what he needs. He cuts too odd a figure to be shooting for the straightforward, radio friendly sound; you want him to come out with something with a stranger twist. Songs like ‘Sometimes’ can feel cloyingly twee, but it doesn’t mean tracks like ‘Beautiful World’ aren’t endearingly warm-hearted.

Not only does Sunflower Bean not really sound much like their début Human Ceremony when playing live, they also sound considerably better. The adjectives you might ascribe to their début such as dreamy or delicate, well none of those apply to how Sunflower Bean sound live. Apart from the vocals, any trace of a more indie feel has been eradicated. They are unapologetically loud and in your face, but not at the loss of keeping the dynamics in their songs.

With his head of Bob Dylan curls, guitarist and singer Nick Kivlen’s voice is masked in trippy delay effects, hiding the relative weakness of his voice and giving it the booming presence of some mystic cosmic being. Sometimes he will let out a short, sharp yelp, which pings away into the psychedelic sprawl. It has a primal quality to it and feels like they're loosing themselves in the intense and extended jams many of their songs evolve into. Julia Cummings remains the intense focal point, throwing herself around as if in a trance. At one point she jumps from the stage and pushes her way through the crowd all while continuing to pummel her bass guitar, apparently with no intended destination.

Sound quality isn’t something I believe to be essential for a great show, especially in a small venue like Bleach. Any band can overcome poor sound to deliver an entertaining performance through charisma and stage presence alone. But Sunflower Bean sound impressively crisp, everything is perfectly balanced, the low end is thick and weighty without muddying everything else which all sounds crisp and clear.

Songs such as ‘Wall Watcher’ cause a frenzy in the crowd; layers of mind-melting fuzz merge with woozy flange effects creating a throbbing intensity, while ‘I Was Home’, with its call and response vocals, has a punk edge.

“We’ll be back,” Cummings promises towards the end of the show. Based on tonight’s performance, Brighton will be happy to accommodate Sunflower Bean anytime they like.
Louis Ormesher
Photos: Dale Weeks