Ducktails / F.U.R.S

London three piece F.U.R.S are up first on support duties, gaining a bit of traction recently in the musical press they could be on the cusp of something big. There is definitely elements of something interesting happening in F.U.R.S music, they've an ear for a melody as perhaps best showcased on their standout track 'Just Kids' which reverberates around the Borderline and makes an otherwise subdued crowd sit up and take notice.

Front woman Elle Wade shows all the characteristics needed to be a great leading lady on the stage, a vocal delivery which is dramatic without ever being over the top and a sultry persona which you can't help be drawn towards as showcased live on the performance of their first single 'Striptease'. They're far from the finished article with a few tracks dawdling along, but with some more focus and a more beefed up live set they could be ones worth watching.

Ducktails, the brainchild of New Jerseyite, Matthew Mondaline have knocked together two sterling LPs since their inception in 2009. Mondaline is something of a work-a-holic having also released a number of critically acclaimed (and justifiably so) albums as one of the main men behind indie darlings Real Estate.

Mondaline comes with a three piece band in tow to help him deliver a set which spans their career thus far and gives a little glimpse into future releases. They are a tight unit and you can tell they've been on tour incessantly for the past few months, they rifle through a set mostly made up from the gloriously shimmering 'The Flower Lane' LP. Set opener and the first track from the aforementioned LP 'Ivy Covered House' is much more accessible than his previous solo work and more align with that of his Real Estate output. The music focuses upon lo-fi textures that fill up the air of the Borderline and they quickly have the near capacity crowd transfixed on the stage.

The set highlights were reserved for two tracks from 2011's 'Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics' album which stood out due to their delightful 60s esque undertones and ambient pop styling. 'Hamilton Road' live manages to seep into everyone in the borderline and although it's a fairly reserved crowd no one can resist swaying and toe tapping, it's practically impossible not to for such a tune. 'Killin' The Vibe' does exactly the opposite of that, a tune which is part folk, part lo-fi electronic mastery, it claims a special place in tonight's proceedings.

There is always that dreaded moment in gigs when new material gets unleashed, it takes a particular skill to know when to pepper it through a set. That is perhaps one of the few oversights in the set as they finish with 20 minutes worth of new material, some of which sounds promising for future releases but those tracks would have been better served implemented elsewhere in the set.

When you take away the psychedelic overtones and the waves of guitar what is left is genuinely earnest pop music, Modaline and his band mates create an infectious summery vibe that, at least temporarily, transports us from a dreary and damp Thursday night in London. What more can you ask for?

FUTURE GIGS

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