Safe to say there's no-one trying to hog the limelight in this group. At all.

Queen of Hoxton, EC2
20th July 2009

Playing in the UK for the very first time, LA indie upstarts Army Navy kicked off a hectic run of shows with a very brief and slightly jet-lagged performance at the recently revamped Queen of Hoxton. Their whistle-stop, week long tour is part of a charm and style offensive, seeing them play practically every uber-cool and intimate venue in London in a single visit (that’s Camden’s Dublin Castle and Head, Brixton’s Windmill and Islington’s Buffalo Bar if you’re interested).

The band’s upbeat and airy guitar pop approach is epitomised by set opener and debut single, ‘Saints,’ it’s rattling sixties Merseybeat style guitar riff and generally breezy demeanour sounds the tone of a set which varies little from this formula. Their jangling pop is driven by plentiful use of the kick drum in a style reminiscent of the foot stomping anthems of the Fratellis, but they are gilt edged with melancholic depth by the Americana touches that run through their tracks, the awkward and unassuming posturing of front man Justin Kennedy serves to further this depth and even lends itself to favourable comparisons to the R.E.M. and Teenage Fanclub brand of considered rock-pop. Unfortunately the “west coast” vocal harmonies which are an essential part of Army Navy’s make-up in studio recordings, pleasantly supplementing the band’s cheerfully buoyant vibe as they do, are lost somewhere in the Queen of Hoxton’s sound desk and their spirited choral hooks suffer because of this.

Of the seven songs they rushed through only two managed to stick in the memory. ‘Silvery Sleds,’ a track selected for the soundtrack of Michael Cera coming-of-age flick, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and the incontestable highlight, a cover of 70′s soul star Maxine Nightingale’s ‘Right Back Where We Started From’ which lends itself surprisingly well to jerky indie guitar, transcending some of the technical and possible motivational problems. The succinctness of the set seemingly catching everyone by surprise including both guitarists, who were still playing with feedback by the time bassist and drummer had de-amped and removed their instrument from the stage.

Army Navy’s self-titled debut album is out in the UK now and they also contributed a cover of ‘Jumpin’ Someone Else’s Train’ to The Cure tribute album Perfect as Cats which also out now.

By David Ellis