Music Review

Published on Friday 6 February 2009 18:55

FOUND/OVER THE WALL **** VOODOO ROOMS, EDINBURGH

OVER The Wall are a likeable Glasgow electropop duo possibly doomed to obscurity by their cavalier disregard of the pop rules. On stage Ben Hillman and Gav Prentice place their keyboards facing each other (and away from the audience), dress in what appear to be the only clean clothes they could find, grin chirpily during their saddest songs, indulge in inappropriate guitar solos, and generally behave as if they are performing in their bedrooms rather than to paying punters. They get away with it, mostly, because their songs – the euphoric Thurso in particular – are often terrific.

Given that their lyrics are about snooker and keyboards going to heaven, though, they're a band you will either love or roll your eyes at.

Edinburgh's Found, by contrast, both look and sound more and more like a band ready for proper success.Having started out as an experiment by three art school students, they've mutated into a fully fledged, hugely confident five-piece live band who, on Thursday night, opened their set with a straightforward (for them) country rock song. It's still the sonic quirks that make them stand out, though – like the samples on Some Fracas Of A Sissy, or the electronic bleeping and tweeting on Reshaping, blended with live instruments in a way that seemed effortless. They're off to Texas next month to play at the annual South by Southwest showcase; they've earned it.