Performance - Short Sharp Shock (album)
Sometimes we all need a 'Short Sharp Shock' and Performance, a 4 piece electro outfit from Manchester certainly seem to agree.
With two females providing high-pitched juxtaposing vocals over an electro backing there will be easy comparisons made with The Human League and whilst the band would freely admit this would be one of their influences, their sound on this track goes deeper than that and doesnt merely rely on rehashing old ideas.
With a throbbing guitar line kicking the track off and lead singers Joe Stretch sounding eerily reminiscent of Alex Kapranos, the song is a little stomper and easily lives up to its title. The chorus positively bubbles and is nowhere near the cold image of so many electro bands, Performance sound as though they actually may be fun.
Its tracks and bands like this that the electro scene needs to make a bigger impact, for all that acts like White Rose Movement have a few good tunes and can look mean and moody with cracking cheekbones, it can be difficult to get into them. On the basis of this one track, there appears to be some excitement and life around Performance, in fact, their name appears to be the biggest thing against them, such is the good quality of the single.
With some thumping drum fills coming from nowhere at the cods, its an extremely well rounded single that would busy up a few indie dance floors across the country. With the band having already hooked up with one of the falvours of the month in Simian Mobile Disco who remix their 'Surrender' track to a more upbeat sleazier affair, things are looking good for Performance.
11/13
Encore for Performance.
Electro that sounds as though they are having fun, its a new concept but its one that works.
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