Though barely a year old, London four-piece Econoline have already started to make their mark. Their obvious love of big American noise-makers even extends to naming themselves after a Ford truck. The combination of angry guitars with odd tunings and well-crafted song-writing has invited comparisons with Dinosaur Jr and Pavement, while singer Ian Scanlon’s uncanny vocal resemblance to Robert Smith has led to inevitable mentions of The Cure. Fortunately this doesn’t extend to the visual, as he looks more like a malnourished football fan. A more accurate musical reference point might be Fugazi, in that a scratch beneath the brash, nihilistic surface reveals a surprising amount of thoughtfulness and emotion. I don’t know if anyone still talks about ‘emocore’, but if they did Econoline’s name would soon come up.

New single ‘Breakfast of Champions’ combines heartfelt angst with an uncompromising guitar onslaught. There’s also a New York-style arty element, particularly when they get all slow and tinkly, which somehow brought an involuntary broad smile to my lips. But it’s what their record company call fuzzy-edged guitar wastelands that the crowd, including a sizeable Northampton contingent for some reason, have come to hear. It’s refreshing to hear a band so focused and, dare I say it, committed. If they carry on maturing at such a rate, glittering prizes may await.

Art Lagun