THE GOODNIGHTS

- Doghouse, Dundee 01-02-

 To a sizeable Doghouse crowd - and one of the largest audiences that I've seen present to hear the band, so far - The Goodnights amply illustrated why, in such a wide-ranging hotbed of talent that is the Dundee music Scene, they are totally unique, but in a way that is seriously surprising, in that it not only works so well, but that it's gathering legions of new fans to it by the month.

For The Goodnights are proud performers of some of the most mid-paced songs that any Dundee band has to offer. That they make this work throughout the set, and have a large audience absolutely captivated by what they are playing, is a testament to the writing, arranging, playing and singing talents that the whole band possesses.

For a quintet who feature a guy (Ross Kirk) on electric piano and organ as a prominent lead, as well as extra musical coloration, they have a depth of sound that is truly exquisite. That they can open the set with a song such as "save Me" and have the audience in the palms of their hands, is the sign of the writing skill. You start with this expansive anthem of a song as ringing guitars from lead guitarist John Mill and rhythm guitarist Paul Wyllie, and flowing organ sound above militaristic rhythms courtesy of Dave McDermott on bass and Jamie Corstorphine on drums, the song rolling along as guitarist and lead vocalist Paul Wyllie's voice just soars on a song that has this smouldering passion to its anthemic outpourings, the audience swaying along, only for the song to decelerate then, in a swift uprising of rhythm, erupt into a hail of guitars and electric piano as the vocal rises up to deliver the memorable chorus, before it all drops down to a sea of lilting piano, choppy slow rhythms and back into the mesmerising verses once more. All of this lapped up by an audience wrapped up in the song and its delivery.

What really become surprising as the set progresses is that the band don't really rock out - "Jane" coming as close as it gets - but provide a solid, flowing and extraordinarily well played set of songs that's like listening to an album only in a live setting, for this is the stuff of which long-lasting album pleasure is most surely made.

A song such as "Holding On" is played as a bona-fide indie anthem but with a maturity that puts it in an altogether different league, again its pace matched by its intense passion and delicious sounding arrangements as the band inject it with beef and intricacy, dynamics and fluidity, to make it sound so good. That the band are fired up by the fact that their songs are now beginning to get the recognition that they deserve, is merely leading to much more commanding performances, of which tonight was surely evidence, as the band played as one, and, for the pace but sheer quality and appeal of the songs and the singing, held a Doghouse spellbound, something no other band of this ilk - if there is one - could do.

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