We’ve been so impressed with Brighton’s Lacuna Bloome here at Brightonsfinest. With a spectacular 2018 that has seen them play a brilliant set at Isle of Wight Festival, play fantastic support slots with the likes of Black Honey at The Hope & Ruin for This Feeling TV as well as with Saltwater Sun at Sticky Mike’s, it’s been a scintillating year for the indie quartet. Their headline show at The Hope & Ruin, for This Feeling, continued the band’s excellent momentum as they look more and more likely to breakout at any minute.

The stacked line-up was home to some of Brighton’s most exciting up-and-coming acts. Dove House, who released their debut EP, Teeth, back in April opened the night to a modest crowd. Like a sound from a bygone era, their music sounds distinctly of the mid-2000s indie resurgence. With spiky guitars, and slow-building choruses, it’s a tad derivative, but they’ve got enough about them to make them an interesting presence.

The Peeps, however, were a completely different prospect. Ditching a lead guitar for a keyboard, their bouncy pop sound falls somewhere between Chas and Dave and Man & The Echo, with lead singer Ryan Ede’s voice having a post-punk sensibility to it. Playing songs off their eponymous EP, which dropped in April, they were an incredibly impressive outfit who sound genuinely different from the guitar-heavy pack.

Brighton’s King Kuda, who have just secured a slot on the Brighton leg of the This Feeling Alive tour at Green Door Store, supporting Trampolene and The Surrenders, were up next with their brand of indie-pop. Describing themselves as “alternative dreamwave”, they produced a fantastic display that evoked the likes of Mystery Jets and The War on Drugs. Latest single ‘Wildflower’, in particular, is a dreamy slice of euphoria with a technical proficiency you don’t often see in these small venues. Displaying an extremely confident sound, it’s no surprise they’ve reached over 100,000 streams on Spotify.

After three terrific bands, the stage was set for Lacuna Bloome’s dazzling Britpop-meets-Madchester vibes. Playing singles ‘I Am’ and ‘Alright’ back to back, there’s a swagger to the band that suggests they’ve got tracks like these in abundance. With ‘Pink Sky’ and final song ‘Fin’, too, which could both be singles in their own right, it’s clear that Lacuna Bloome are ready for the next step in their journey. With a set that’s rarely changed in the last year, it’s mightily impressive that it still sounds fresh and exciting.

There’s a fantastic balance to the band in a live setting, too, with lead guitarist Sam Leaver showcasing an intense enthusiasm and moving dynamically across the stage, contrasted with Molly Walker’s lackadaisical approach to bass playing on the other side of the stage. Meanwhile, frontman Niall Logue combines both aspects of those two at times with both a laid back attitude and an exciting swagger. With a slot on the This Feeling Alive tour to come, it won’t be long before Lacuna Bloome will be a household name on the indie scene.

Liam McMillen

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