CHOON

Choon Unsigned – Blue Noise

In the congested indie scene in which which we currently find ourselves, it’s all too easy for generic bands to appear, and then simply evaporate. It’s lucky then that the Cheltenham-based quartet, Blue Noise, are not just ordinary.

Catching the eyes of many in the industry, they’ve been tipped for big things in 2009 and have recently supported acts such as Red Light Company and The Holloways. After witnessing this myself, its clear what all the fuss is about.

The boisterous ‘Best laid plans’ and the superb ‘Getting younger,’ on which singer Joe Wellfair displays his whiny yet splendid chants, are definitely two stand out tracks. But with noted influences that include The Clash, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Arcade Fire, the last thing you would expect is a return (all be it inadvertent) to an almost Brit-pop sound. Wellfair occasionally drifts into a Levellers-esque accent in ‘On Tenderhooks‘ and an (ever so slight) hint of the Bluetones in the Kings of Leon motivated ‘Where will you run to’.

The band are out on tour throughout April before they head to the studio in early May to record new material. This will hopefully enable a wider audience to experience a rare quality of sound and the ever so bright future of Blue Noise.

By Tom Arkell