Sunset Reset, James Burke.

Lev 1 Esquires Bedford. 23rd October 2009.

As a creature of habit, it looked suspiciously like my regular Friday evening fix of live music was seriously under threat. With nothing booked for level 2, even Danny's Bar had nothing lined up until a couple of days ago. Then some youthful persons used their initiative and, hey, we have a gig. Sunset Reset and James Burke provided a splendid couple of hours to help with the natural unwinding of the working week.

SUNSET RESET are a confident young band who I saw a couple of weeks ago on level 2. That night they certainly brightened up a lacklustre Saturday evening. As is normal in the bar, covers offer solid padding to the set. The usual suspects for this age group naturally get an airing, namely Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182. They offer average interest. However, a bold attempt of Kasabian's "Fire" certainly hit the bullseye. They did it full justice. At the start of it I got the distinct impression that they were going to make a right 'pigs ear' of it. I could not have been more wrong and they deserve full credit for a sparkling version. Sunset Reset also include some well written own compositions. "Fall from grace" is one such song. The intelligent drums and guitar intro leads to a well constructed pop song. "Something to think about" features an outright catchy riff. Their 'show off' guitarist also plays this one behind his head! However, as on the previous occasions I've seen this band, it's their self-titled finale "Sunset Reset" that really grabs my attention. It stands up to scrutiny, courtesy of it's agile bittersweet hooks. Considering their ages, the set, once again, is highly enjoyable, mainly because of it's refreshing maturity. Mention must be made of the two people who danced constantly throughout.

JAMES (Jay) BURKE has a head full of many varying influences. He likes The Libertines, but on his covers driven set, it's with the slower, more mature, past heroes when he really seems to come alive. When he sings like a 'mockney' it doesn't seem to work. However, when he drawls like a 'cowboy junkie' while picking and sliding on his acoustic guitar, it's far more suitable. The Dylan cover fits the bill perfectly.