Rowan Bruce
Sitting somewhere between the catchy pop-rock sounds of Weezer’s Blue Album and the maximalist noise of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, Bristol 6-piece Hamburger teach a masterclass in restrained yet layered songwriting. With a trio of guitarists, dual lead vocalists, keys, bass and drums all competing for airtime, Hamburger balance straightforward melodies with clouds of clashing fuzz.
Still riding the wave of their November 2024 EP Beat Back The Ghouls, Hamburger deliver a vibrant set full of awkward humour, overlapping harmonies and breathy falsetto vocals. With guitarist Fearghall and keyboardist Katie leading the charge, the sextet prove themselves to be one of the thriving Bristol underground’s most enticing indie-pop treats.
Folk-punk and emo trio Toodles And The Hectic Pity are a cornerstone of Bristol’s alternative scene at this point, blending high-energy punk beats and acoustic guitar strumming with melancholic lyrics lifted from niche literature. With three releases under their belt, guitarist and vocalist Callum McAllister, bassist Max Cole and drummer Dom Mosley have explored both AJJ style lo-fi acoustic punk and subtle Neutral Milk Hotel inspired indie.
Entering to the tender twang of a brand new, unreleased song from a soon to be announced EP before making a wild left turn into the feedback-driven folk punk of ‘Menthol Cigarettes’, Toodles show an impressive ability to keep an audience gripped whether warbling through acoustic ballads or wailing through folk-punk bangers. Bowing out to the lead single from their debut album ‘Emotionally Unclean’, the trio hammer home their spot at the top of the UK’s niche folk-punk scene.
Despite only visiting the country for the first time last February, Atlanta’s favourite emo trio Michael Cera Palin have become a beloved fixture of the UK’s underground scene, touring almost constantly around the release of their debut album We Could Be Brave back in March. Consisting of drummer Chad Miller, singer and guitarist Elliott Brabant and, covering for founding member Jon Williams, bassist Josh Rubin, the trio take to the stage to the defiant opening track from their debut full-length ‘Feast Or Famine’.
While the trio’s usual bassist Jon Williams and his non-stop whirlwind of energy are absent, the rest of the band compensate with fill-in bassist Josh shedding through intricate basslines and Elliott leaning into their role as frontperson, commanding the packed crowd through both newer deep cuts like ‘Murder Hornet Fursona’ and hits like ‘Portrait Of A Woman On A Couch With Cats’
Although most of their set is less than a year old, Michael Cera Palin manage to bring the best out of the crowded Exchange, coaxing a sing-along out of even deep cuts like ‘Tardy’. Of course the biggest reaction of the night was the band’s iconic cover of Cheryl Crow’s ‘If It Makes You Happy’, here transformed from country-pop ballad to powerful emo hit.
Rather than ending on one of their tried and trusted bangers, Michael Cera Palin closed out their set with the heartfelt title track from their album ‘We Could Be Brave’, an almost twelve minute odyssey jumping from deliberately paced, fuzz-driven passages to raucous, cathartic peaks. Despite being thousands of miles from their hometown, Michael Cera Palin provide an evening of intense emotional punk and positive community rallying against the forces of nihilism.