The Whybirds, Amy Leeder, Chris Thatcher, Trouble with Tuesday, Albany Down.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 10th April 2010.

Americana is alive and well and living very nicely in Bedfordshire, courtesy of our very own musical treasures THE WHYBIRDS. With fifteen different varieties of beer and cider on their faded denim jeans, these hard giggin' boys are hotly anticipated on their homepatch by this reviewer. The summer appears to be just as busy as they look to embark on their Cold Blue Sky tour 2010. Shared acoustic dates with fellow Bedford boys The Quireboys, plus a suport slot with eighties legends Jason And The Scorchers are forthcoming dates for the diary.

Marrying the swagger of dirty rock 'n' roll to the hoedowns and heartaches of porch twang and mountain melodies, they open solidly with "I Feel Loved" and "Morning Light". Encapsulating country sensibilities with a genius for song writing, "Something Beautiful" could aptly be a self-describing song. Oh yes, "I can feel it in my bones". Overdriven guitars and a sprightly tempo encase "Jenny, can we take a Ride?". The insanely infectious "Hauling" certainly has me joining in with the chorus of "Blow out the candles".

They create such an ethereal beauty with these seemingly simple songs. The Whybirds eschew the musical platter, full of ebb and flow mood swings. The vocal variation is perhaps open to debate, but I feel this unique simplicity is so inviting, so inclusive, that you would have to be pretty impervious to refuse their difering 'grizzly' vocal charms. Pitch perfect and unfaltering, they deliver every syllable with total passion and absolute belief, none more so than on "Girl is on Fire". The Whybirds always deliver an unusual cover and tonight is their salute to the 'godfather of grunge', Mr Neil Young. Their version of "Fuckin' Up" brings their superb set to an end. Although it is getting very late, the loud shouts for an encore are answered by The Whybirds with "Before I go Crazy". The perfect nightcap to send us all home happy and content.

Opening our evening is AMY LEEDER whose acoustic set threatens to get derailed by the 'louder' band downstairs! In fact, Amy cutely informs us that she is only a "small delicate flower"! However, Amy is very caustic in her song writing skills, especially in her new one entitled "Rough Round the Edges" which is about "older men taking advantage of younger girls". "Broken Angel" is a composition that Amy has entered for the Shure Creative awards and we are actively encouraged to vote. Yes, vote for Amy! www.shurecreativeaward.com (click on the girl with the tv)

CHRIS THATCHER is well known for his work in PHR, but occasionally he likes to strap on a guitar and strum acoustically. Engagingly quirky and offbeat in demeanour, Chris is a throwback to the seventies with his mop of long hair, beard, and tonight wearing a pair of "massive trousers". Tackling life's problems with a smile and a joke, he is even getting used to playing with a right handed guitar. Needless to say, Chris is a southpaw! Singing about cheery subjects "like death!", this laconic fellow is a delight from beginning to end. His songs, of which "Grindstone", "Nice Girl" and the newer "Kings Ditch" flow so effortlessly from such a lovable bohemian spirit!

An Esquires debut for TROUBLE WITH TUESDAY, a blues pop band from Stevenage and keen to impress. "Cry" is a fired up offering, while they slow it down a tad for "Unread". "Lonely Man" offers a riff that reminds me so much of The Only Ones.

ALBANY DOWN return and, on what has been a lovely spring day, a friend of mine is a touch mystified. It is warm in here so why is the singer wearing a big thick jacket buttoned up, while a band mate is in a scarf! Are they ill? There is probably more to be had in this debate than in the standard pub blues rock that the band offer us tonight.