As brassy as Madness and Dexys, there are fewer awkward angles than you would expect from a group who took their name from a member of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. In fact, McCabe's refusal to dilute his accent when he sings makes you think of the Zutons as something like the Cavern-era Beatles. More than anything, they recall fictional band the Commitments: they have the same gritty intensity and sweaty power. It gets wearing.
Live, they are tight and punchy, with strong drumming, if a bit heavy on the bass, which reverberates across the field and up to our chests. The crowd goes routinely wild, with syncopated claps. One man even mock-blows a plastic sax. The barnstorming boogie of Always Right Behind You is a respite from the rocked-up R&B. But Valerie is most rapturously received, and deservedly so - it is by far their best song, the one that achieves everything they set out to do. It also makes you wonder where the Zutons can go next.
· At Delamere Forest on June 13 (0845 3673787), and the National Arboretum on June 20 (01666 880220).
See Also
