We’re back on a  (yeah yeah) industrial estate in Salford for the 2nd time in the past week on a particularly rain-lashed mid week night. Hotline TNT are here, all the way from New York City and something tells me I’m into something good. They’re a few albums in but their new one ‘Raspberry Moon’ grabbed my attention. It is billed as ‘New American Shoegaze’ but what I’m hearing is more aligned to the grungey but sunnyside-up sounds that were adjacent in the imperial 89-92 era – the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Dinosaur JR… think Swervedriver rather than Slowdive. Big guitar sounds, big songs. 

Ver’ Hotline are hard gigging band who have earned their stripes around the US and beyond, and as soon as they strike up their set it shows.
Unlike some current bands in their ‘milieu’ they aren’t afraid to crank it up and let rip. There’s a lot to be said for confidence and a bit of swagger, you can feel the relief – nobody’s going to have a wobble if they break a string or fluff a note – they’re going for it. There’s no great experimentation going on, but that’s fine because they’ve got some great songs, a deft way with a build up, a drummer who can swing from metronomic to Who-esque fills and a load of bounce. Not that this is meat & taters grunge rock either, underneath the energetic fireworks there is a precision and craft and they have a way with melody – check ‘Lawnmower’ or ‘Dance the Night Away’ off the the new LP you’ll see what I mean. 

Such is the confidence and ease with which they entertain us I start to wonder if they’re one of those bands that might go past the 2 hour mark and ‘do a Yo La Tengo’ – but in fact it’s a short, sharp set and after 45 mins they’re off – quick blast through 2 encores and away. Perfectly pitched, heart-warming and downright fun.