It’s been a tough couple of years for Nottingham’s Amber Run since their breakout success with their debut album, 5AM. Not only were they dropped by their label, Sony, but their drummer left the band too, leaving them in disarray. Their show at Concorde 2, along with the release of their sophomore album, For a Moment, I Was Lost, sees the band on a renaissance of sorts and they’re clearly loving every minute of it.

First up was Brighton producer and FatCat Records signee, Michael Aston, also known as Knightstown, whose hypnotic vocal and electronic compositions are reminiscent of Sampha, James Blake and Jamie Woon. In a short set, which the crowd warmed to more and more throughout, Aston showcases his warm, down-tempo melodies with coherent, electronic pop.

Next up, and main support for the whole Amber Run tour, were Bridlington’s Seafret. It was clear that Amber Run’s fans are in harmony with Seafret fans because Concorde 2 was packed out for their early set. Playing a hit-heavy show, with the majority of songs coming from their debut album, Tell Me It’s Real, a highlight comes in the form of big single ‘Oceans’, which exhibits lead singer Jack Sedman’s gravelly, wistful vocals. New songs, ‘Monsters’ and ‘Blank You Out’, demonstrate that they’re unlikely to fall under the ‘second album syndrome’ and they’re a band that are surely going to have longevity. As a fan shouted out in the crowd, “Long live Seafret’’.

By the time Amber Run were making their way to the stage, the sold out Concorde 2 was well on its way to the brink of excitement. Opening with debut album cut, ‘Pilot’, Amber Run offered a set which impeccably balanced both of their albums and should go down as a rousing success for a band that really deserve it. A focal point of the show was their performance of standout track from second album For a Moment, I Was Lost, ‘Dark Bloom’, which combines 2000-era Radiohead with Coldplay’s earlier work.

Their live show is a lot heavier than their studio output. During songs such as ‘Insomniac’ and ‘Island’ they turn into a fully-fledged alt-rock band, rather than softer, more reticent-sounding cinematic pop. It’s another layer to the band that, honestly, I didn’t think there was. They’re a much more consistent, dependable and malleable band than many give them credit for.

Ending on a weepy rendition of ‘Haze’, mega single ‘I Found’ and ‘No Answers’, this was a band at the top of their game and, considering they almost packed it in after various mental health struggles and grappling with in-band problems, it’s great seeing them prosper and progress to the next level. Amber Run seem to be back on the right path and they’ll no doubt move on to the next level now – and it couldn’t happen to a nicer band.

Liam McMillen

Website: amber-run.com
Facebook: facebook.com/amberrun
Twitter: twitter.com/AmberRun