Bleach Lab, Canvas. 8th November 2023

Pay attention to the details. I nearly turned up at the wrong venue tonight. My ticket says Gorilla and I was excited to get back now it’s finally reopened. Turns out though that Bleach Lab have moved tonight to Canvas. No matter, this is lovely too. We’re in the smaller room, that’s already got a decent crowd for support She’s In Parties. I’ve wanted to catch them for a bit and am rewarded with some lovely goth infused shoegaze. Well worth a listen and they’ve got fabulous hair too. This side of Canvas is an underground breeze block room, which makes it feel quite industrial and it is, although there are chandeliers over the bar. It’s an unassuming space though. As the London outfit take the stage, there’s no fanfare, not even a cheer which seems a bit odd. First up is ‘Indigo’ with a soft lamenting start that eases us in and sets the pace. They’re not a band to lose your mind to, although I guess you could drift off into a wistful oblivion. As they follow with ‘All Night’ I’m reminded that it’s Jenna’s voice that’s the star here, she soars over the tranquil indie soundscape. While some tool in front of me tries to record the entire set on his phone… in portrait! ‘Real Thing’ cheers me up though. This was the first song that hooked me and it’s popular in the room. People bob and dance. Gently. It’s a beautiful song, conjuring wide open vistas of melancholy hope. ‘Never Coming Back’ is another newer one from the debut album, which I’m not sure everyone had listened to. It’s not a lively crowd. It’s a shame, this really is a belter and deserves a lot more admiration. ‘Saving All Your Kindness’, with its spiralling guitar, seems to echo even more in this room. The sound isn’t amazing truth be told, but thankfully it works for this. Maybe it’s the high ceiling or all the concrete, but they definitely felt meatier last time I saw them. Maybe Jenna senses the crowds stoicism, “Let’s have some fun” she says as ‘Safe Place’ ups the tempo. Guitarist, Frank getting to live out his Cure-esque fantasies, which he does rather well. ‘Smile’ gets dedicated to “Anyone made to feel afraid”. It’s moodier and brings a chill to the room, or it might be the aircon kicking in. Before the military drums introduce ‘Counting Empties’ and the tool with the phone buggers off. It’s dark and dreamy and I’m thinking might be a set favourite until they follow with ‘Nothing Left to Lose’. In a set dominated by reflective control, it’s a bit of a banger and the crowd wake up, a little. ‘Pale Shade’ is slower, but we’re at the business end now and these songs pack a stealthful punch. It’s taken me a while to get swept up, but I’m getting there. ‘If You Only Feel It Once’ is fragile, yet full of minor chord bombast and driving bass. It gets the two lads in front of me very excited and rightly so. They sway and smile and apologise to those they bump into. They’re clearly fans of stuff released before they were born and love ‘Old Ways’ that sounds suitably like vintage 80s dark wave pop. It is stunning, even if it sounds a bit thinner than it should. I kinda wish they’d started with some of these later songs to lift the sullen audience, but I’m aware I’m a bit picky about these things. They finish with ‘Everything At Once’, that keeps that blissful pop vibe with its “oh oh oh” chorus. It’d be a radio hit, if that were still a thing. Then they’re gone. As swiftly as they arrived. Maybe not the best I’ve seen them, but still worth finding the right venue for.