London newcomers Vieira and The Silvers take their classic rock and protopunk heroes by the hand and carefully subvert expectations. Nostalgic sensibilities, contrasted by flashes of modern art-rock, indie, soul and disco, set the sextet apart from mere revivalism, and establish them as a compelling modern rock band.
Songs often tangled up in existential angst and rat-race disillusion, coupled by frontman Diogo Vieira da Silva’s animated performance, make for a theatrical live act as humorous as it is thought provoking. Within the band’s brand of shapeshifting art-rock is the tenor saxophone played by Cormac Coyle, wailing exuberantly through the louder moments, and then adding rich, melodic colour in softer breaks, serving as a distinguishing feature of the sextet’s sound. Two guitars handled by Ben Curling and Ethan Faith respectively, enable the band to chop and swap rhythm and lead lines, properly paying homage to the 60s and 70s rock forefathers. The rhythm section — Reece Dean on bass and Lennon Donaldson on drums — anchor the band’s dynamics with precision and flair, enabling seamless exchanges between swaggering blues-rock, unexpected detours, and passages of mellow groove-laden soul.
