secret fireworks

From the first track, "Stained Glass", the band start as they mean to go on. Chris' droning guitar creates a shoegazesque cavalcade of noise while Richard's trademark fingerpicked acoustic guitar line means we experience this unusual yet lovely contrast. The vocals are muffled beyond belief, but that adds to the experience: it's a little bit magical, a little bit strange and a little bit hazy. Niall's drumming ranges from the delicate to the furious within the space of 30 seconds.

Most of the material we hear tonight is completely new, but we do get to hear the single Moment Of Recognition with Grace from Cutaways filling in on vocal duties. Interestingly enough, it's the weakest song on show here by a great deal. Despite the fact that the vocals are still indecipherable , the new material sounds very promising.

One or two tracks in particular stand out: one track features Richard crooning "this is everlasting, this is never ending" while Chris jumps in with a slightly more upbeat guitar riff and harmonies that mix together so well. It's a shame Therese wasn't part of the performance: I'm not sure if she's left or just couldn't make the gig but her vocals were the perfect compliment to Richard's and it was one of the standout points of Heliopause.

Chris' dreamy guitar parts return as they ring out in the Dome, with Niall's soft and measured drumming complimenting each other perfectly. I feel like I'm watching When Pilots Eject without keyboards and meaningful lyrics: we hear the odd word from Richard but there's this intense energy within the band that's restrained at times and released at others. It seems there's been a sound shift since the first EP and I welcome that greatly. There's a solo track from Richard which is nice but doesn't live up to the rest of the set: in the band there's an immediate contrast between Richard's restrained nature and Chris' energetic manner, with Niall caught somewhere in the middle. It's this mixture that makes the band unique!

All in all, it was a gorgeous, reflective set that made you stop, think, breathe and relax, a time of peace in a crazy world. The new material sounds ridiculously promising and I hope we get to hear a new EP soon enough but I'd still like to hear some of the older tracks played live, even the heartbreaking, shiver inducing "Mon Peu Rimbaud". A special band in a special venue on a special night: just next time guys, please do a proper soundcheck.

Edit: Thanks Chris for pointing out my mistake: Grace, of course, is in Cutaways, not the Flora, the Fauna. Last time I do late night posting, eh? And thanks to Steve for pointing out my mistake in regards to the Flora, the Fauna.