The Sounds
King Tuts
The Sounds - a modern day Abba for the more discerning punk rocker - went down a storm in Glasgow this week. Fronted by the beautiful Maja Ivarsson, the Scandinavian group took the stage to be greeted by a sold out King Tuts crowd.
Starting with ‘Painted’, an upbeat track with new wave undertones, the band quickly cemented their sonic presence as dance pop masters. As the night went on, the large crowd seemed to get more and more into the band’s energised electro/punk beats, which transformed Tuts’ minimal amount of floor space into a vast sea of bouncing heads and raised hands.Half way through the set the band launched into ‘Tony the Beat’, a highly sexualized rock anthem that allowed the band to show their true colours. The song itself is a perfect example of everything that
a good pop song should be: catchy, sharp, lively and ridiculously infectious.What strikes me most is the The Sounds’ remarkable resemblance to Blondie, not just because of the look of typically Swedish belle Maja, but also because of the funky sound that is generated between their snappy lyrics and crisp beats. The band (who have recently featured on the soundtrack for ‘Music & Lyrics’) wowed the relatively small gathering, and played with a bold conviction that would have equally satisfied an audience of thousands. It was a truly unique experience that I have never come across in such a small venue. It even went unchecked when Maja sparked up a ciggy in the middle of the set, adding a slight air of rock and roll to the proceedings.
The band closed the set with ‘Mission’, a song that left the exhausted crowd undeniably captivated.
www.thesounds.com
Words: Scott Mullen
Photos: John Summers
