He looks sheepishly around, realising that everyone is laughing. Nothing! he says hastily as if he couldn't bear the thought of having to explain to a sweet and lovely Swedish girl exactly why he thinks her 8 piece band sound like the Carpenters. She shrugs and says well this song is from our new album and then they play us some more pop music.
I'm one of those people who doesn't like pop music. Recently it was pointed out to me that although I hate Western pop music almost indisciminately, put in an arabic melody or something foreign and I actually quite like it. It's the 'catchy' choruses, the major harmonies, the twee fallacy of it all. There's no point trying to explain I suppose, it's just something that is, thanks to manufactured bands and all that tripe.
But prejudice and shockingly 80's outfits (like TOTP all over again) notwithstanding, The Concretes have a certain self-conscious innocent charm and the music reflects this. For the most part it isn't particularly complicated, merely a harmonic backing to the lovely breathy voice of shy singer Victoria whispering little tales of love and loss into a be-flowered microphone. The more upbeat danceable songs have all the catchy choruses pop lovers could wish for and although they make me cringe at times, everyone else is smiling and happy, which is a first for the Bristol Academy so I have to appreciate that.
From beautiful harmonies to twee choruses and huge crescendos, the Concretes uncover most of the bases left behind by the early to mid nineties school of grungey British pop music (although less shouty) and add their own brand of quirky soft-voiced sing-along tunes. The encore consists of the scarey drummer singing on her own with guitar accompaniment and a crowd-pleaser with singalong chorus. I swear I hear some people humming it as we all leave.
Outside the Academy I am accused of now liking pop music because I didn't leave and start shouting at the moon. I won't defend myself, sometimes we have to muddy the waters of critical opinion and just enjoy the music for what it is. Nice.