Allo Darlin’
Allo Darlin’ and the End of Nostalgia More
Written By Michael Wood Sunday, February 26th, 2012
Allo Darlin' at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
It would take a stone heart to not warm to London/Aussie popsters Allo Darlin' who bash out a set on a Sunday night in Leeds splitting their set between their as yet unreleased second album Europe and their first album which could not be said to be inspired but does showcase the band's problems effectively.
Problems such as they are. The first album has been on my playlist since it's C86 inspired ditties floated in two years ago and the first four tracks on that album - all played tonight - could have been pulled off any good Sarah Record of the period. The Polaroid Song is typical setting the end of a film stock against the passing of part of life, and off the innocence that comes with that.
Nostalgia leads to ghettoes though and while the band are sensible to stack their set with well known tracks to finish the early set shows a band changing and maturing. More bittersweet the album Europe more readily references the likes of Camera Obscura than it does The Field Mice or Even As We Speak.
The four piece play those song nervously, unsure perhaps of how the band will change from sweet memories to a more painful, more grounded reality.
This post is about Allo Darlin'