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Ever since the release of debut single 'Second Minute or Hour' in 2006, the Penate bandwagon has built up unstoppable momentum, leading to a series of high profile festival appearences in the coming Summer. Penate the man is an engaging figure, tall, tousle haired and brimming with infectious energy. He thrashes about the stage as if possessed, displaying remarkable swagger for such a young man (22 to be exact) more acustomed to the smoky, intimate venues of the London bar and club scene. He is also a remarkably good singer, powerful, versatile and at times reminiscent of Jeff Buckley albeit with a distinctive cockney drawl. In a musical sense, the group are far from your run of the mill indie band, eschewing turgid power chords and regimented 4/4 rhythms for jazz tinted major sevenths and syncopated beats.
He is also a remarkably good singer, powerful, versatile and at times reminiscent of Jeff Buckley albeit with a distinctive cockney drawl.
Set highlight Cold Thin Line combines these unique elements perfectly, its pounding drum and bass beat, whipping the crowd into an involuntary frenzy of flailing limbs.
However, there are limitations to the Penate sound. For all the unique stylistic influences, three piece pop/rock bands who play short, hook laden songs need inanely catchy melodies to maintain the interest of the audience. Penate is certainly capable of this, as demonstrated by the encore 'Torn on the Platform', an up tempo homage to the comforts of home, brilliantly catchy and quintessentially summery. However, this melodic knack seems to abandon him during the middle of the set, the big anthemic guns drawn in the first part of the set in hope that their energy can placate the audience till the encore.
