The daylight emitting, enclosed layout of Patterns gives an audience a licence to believe they could be anywhere. Add into the equation the venue’s fluorescent lighting rig and there was no reason for Saturday night’s revellers to believe the beach across the road wasn’t in fact Miami circa 1983. Beach Baby then took to the stage and played their part in prolonging the dying embers of the British summer with their carefree brand of indie-pop.

No Mind, No Money is one of the debut LPs of the year so far, and the band rattled through the record in its entirety. Their majestic style incorporates shades of post-punk, baggy and shoegaze whilst maintaining a distinct uniqueness. The bittersweet lyrics match perfectly against the backdrop of their dreamy sonic output, with Lawrence Pumfrey’s deep vocals and Ollie Pash’s tender range coexisting perfectly together to create a sun drenched soundscape.

With a distinctive, luscious guitar tone which sets them apart from contemporaries, ‘Sleeperhead’ wakes up the audience with its perpetual bassline before ‘Lost Soul’s’ melodic surf guitar and gargantuan chorus ignites the crowd into frenzy. ‘Smoke Won't Get Me High’ replicates Mac DeMarco’s slacker charm only with increased rhythmic vigour. This is followed by the band almost entering karaoke territory in the form of ‘Bug Eyed and Blonde’, with its simplistic nature giving hips a licence to gently sway in unison. Meanwhile, ‘Powderbaby’ is a track that is brought to life in a gig environment; its percussional-driven lead sounding more forthright and noticeable than on record.

Earlier in the night local four-piece Episodes’ electro indie-pop had similarities to the most recent Wild Beasts record with catchy guitar riffs and solid grooves. Thyla later took to the stage to exhibit their brand of rhythmically inclined grunge that neatly harmonises with frontwoman Millie’s haunting vocals. Set highlight from the Brighton band came in the form of ‘Motherlode’ that included an infectious riff that is sporadically overpowered by an epic soundscape of post-punk.

Before concluding the night with the punchy ‘Limousine’, Beach Baby wowed the audience with ‘No Mind, No Money’ and with Pash’s leopard skin strapped, 12 string guitar alongside a perfectly crafted mullet, the four men radiate a contagious sense of fun. They’re a band that flourishes when they’re at their most carefree and have somehow managed to perfectly bottle up and transfer the lo-fi infectious sensibility of the album into a live setting.
Paul Hill

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