The Leadmill - 4 NOVEMBER 2017 review by Jonny Drury, Now then magazine
Reflecktor play serious indie pop with powerful hooks and riffs, proper vocals and psychedelic electronics.
With a cool stage presence, they deliver a creative power that hits you and rearranges your atoms the way live music is supposed to. Halfway down the bill at my favourite Sheffield venue but with no introduction necessary, the group coolly launch into the big and punchy ‘Elegant Wasted’, a mid-tempo, seriously heady tune with synths set to stun. Felicity Crook’s effortlessly slick vocal, backed by two guitarists who also sing well, is perhaps reminiscent of a darker Goldfrapp. She wears a genuinely far-away look, interrupted only by occasional joking laughter in between numbers.
Explosive beats reminiscent of New Jersey hip hop trio Dälek are plentiful throughout, with John Kubicki’s (The Violet May) guitars weaving through the mix. Co-founders Jon Gray (Digweed, Futureheads, The Coral, Zutons) and Pete Marett (Terminalhead, Ian Broudie) drive with conviction from the rear on keyboards and drums respectively, keeping you fully engaged throughout. There’s plenty of well-styled techno and even a splash of tasty glam punk, particularly on ‘Overall’.
The vast range of experience and influence here could easily be overcooked in the wrong hands, but cool sophistication and cohesion presides, resulting in original, very well-crafted songs and super-confident artistry. The Reflecktor sound injects a big charge to the plateaued landscape of British indie.
Finishing their short but sweet set of eight killer tracks with their 2017 EP title track, ‘Mirrors’, the decent and mostly new crowd were clearly appreciative. You might guess I like them. I’ve been blasting out their quality recordings through my home system and with nearly every track sounding like a single, they’re sure to be headlining bigger venues and getting lots of radio airplay soon. Another easy win for Sheffield.
Jonny Drury Now then magazine
