Music

King Furnace. Photo by Mick Conmy.

King Furnace review

It was all big hair and big noise at The Cellar on a steamy summer evening when three young and thrusting local bands did not go gentle into that good night.

For a warm up, we saw teenage foursome Blind Pilots, who gave a workmanlike prog rock set with not a lot new to say. With the temperature now raised, up stepped Fourth Chamber, a big step up in class, all jerky and jagged and enjoying themselves. They honed their art in a High Wycombe pub and now based in Oxford they look set to make a mark. The band look the part, all slender and handsome, with songs in the Nirvana mould. Although powerful, they occasionally seem a little unnecessarily hard edged. Perhaps they could lighten up a bit, a dash of Buddy Holly popiness would go a long way to soften the blow. But Fourth Chamber make a fresh and clean sound and deserve a top billing. Watch this space.

A prerequisite of any quality band is a frontman with charisma. Shy and lacking in confidence does not describe Senator Jefferson, the lead singer in King Furnace. Remember that 1980’s song “My Sharona” from one hit wonders The Knack? King Furnace seem to have built a set around different interpretations of this one song. But what makes it work is the ebullient Jefferson and his Jim Morrison-esque stage presence. The show almost drifts into a cabaret or a stand up routine, but is entertaining nevertheless. And with pints of lager the same price as tinnies at Lidl, it was a fun night out.