If King Tut's Summer Nights exist to bring the hottest music in Scotland to as wide an audience as possible, then something has definitely gone right.
Of course on the best nights the small venue is always a tight squeeze, but now it's even harder to make your way through the throng of people clustered between the bar and the stage than usual. It's not massively surprising – headliners The Unwinding Hours release their eagerly-awaited second album next month, and this show is a first outing for the new material.
Make one's way one must, however, as Olympic Swimmers are not a band to be enjoyed on the periphery. You must immerse yourself, if you can excuse the pun; delve deep into the crowd and let their tide of sound wash over you. The band's music is elegantly crafted and expertly layered, with Susie Liddell's rich vocals taking centre stage.
After opening with the powerful Knut, from their 2010 self-titled debut, Craig B of The Unwinding Hours apologises for a night set to draw heavily on unfamiliar songs. If you've already heard Break, the opening track that appeared online last week, then the more melodic songs set to make up Afterlives will not be a complete surprise –the single in particular is bright and gorgeous, but the bass will still melt your face off while your eardrums throb close to bursting.
B's voice has always been possessed of a certain bittersweet timbre that allows it to soar above the intensity of the music below, and it's never more apparent when accompanied by simple piano, some reverb and snare. Closing with their "hit" Tightrope the band prove they're still intense, but it's becoming the kind of intense you can dance to.
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