Music review: CSS / The Futureheads / MGMT

Published on Wednesday 7 May 2008 19:44

CSS / THE FUTUREHEADS / MGMT ****

ABC, GLASGOW

FOLLOWING the previous evening's Zutons gig, the MTV Spanking New Music Tour continued to stretch a point at this show by booking a couple of bands who were clutched to the crowd's collective bosom like old friends. Opening act MGMT were the only genuine newbies on the block but, judging by their joyful collection of tunes, they'll be headlining Barrowland before the year is out. In the meantime, they need to work up a little stage presence, which was the only thing lacking from their loveable individual mash-up of psychedelic pop, prog and disco.

The Futureheads only had 15 minutes to save the universe (or so it felt) so they steamrollered through their set with brute force. Some of their quirkiness was sacrificed in the process but they managed to pack in a whole lot of wonderful, not least their magnificent reading of Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love, which never gets tired.

Headliners CSS adorned the stage and the front rows with helium-filled red balloons in readiness to hit the fans with a bunch of unfamiliar songs from their forthcoming second album.

Bold but sometimes cheesy synth powerpop is the new direction, executed with great relish by all concerned – particularly frontwoman Lovefoxx, in her usual stage gear (floral catsuit and a wreath on her head) and pseudo-animal make-up. But it was the exotic electronica of their debut album that really hit the spot.