The Flaws at Whelans on July 21st 2011
Review: Nicola Byrne
Photos: Sean Smyth
It would be safe to say that there was room to move around when I arrived at Whelan’s last Thursday night. With the year 2007 came the release of ‘Achieving Vagueness’, the first album of a promising, young, Monaghan-based quartet—The Flaws. Along with the release, came a Choice Music Prize nomination, Meteor award nods, rave reviews and slots in major festivals Oxegen and the Electric Picnic. Their latest effort, ‘Constant Adventure’ has failed to make the same waves, but at the same time—can’t be berated.
On my arrival, support act The Making were already on stage, playing a relatively good set to a relatively unappreciative audience. Frontman, Brendan McCahey, doubles up as a wedding singer, but tonight there was no sign of the sentimental crooner you’d expect to find at such an occasion. McCahey’s emotion hides behind his expertly-crafted fringe, only emerging every once in a while during a particularly high note. They gel fantastically as a band and cause me to wonder why they’re mere support, with only a handful of people watching them.
The Flaws take to the stage in a uniform of jeans and scruffy converse, as Whelan’s begin to stand up and take notice. A few extra bodies colouring-in the formerly vacant floor also helps to create somewhat of an atmosphere. The lads begin with ‘You and I’, with frontman Paul Finn’s vocals drowned out by their instruments.
This is just the beginning of a night-long battle with the sound engineer, as the band constantly aim dissatisfied gestures or comments at the dimly-lit box at the back of the room. Two things were obvious: their frustration, and the reasons behind their frustration. The sound often overshadows enjoyment of their honest-to-good tracks, with only numbers such as ‘No Room’, ‘Sixteen’ and ‘Out Tonight’ fighting through the fuzz to emerge triumphant with the audience, many of whom are happy to sing the lyrics back in unison.
Each member of the band seems engulfed in their own concentration, and tonight, they fail to mesh together as a unit. Perhaps this was merely down to their debacle with the sound guy (“Turn it up, or at least turn it on,” joked Finn), but the guys seemed off form tonight, with the majority of tracks feeling forced —a visual clash to their effortless melodies.
However, credit must go to Finn, as he holds an unsure band together, pouring his heart into every track he bellows—despite the occasional injection of feedback. Bassist, Dane McMahon and lead guitarist, Shane Malone seem, at times, to look to Finn for guidance.
“What does the sea sound like?” asks Finn, before giving us his well-thought impression (think, swwwssshh). This sets the tone for “Stretch of the Evening”, a beautiful and soft-hearted track that entranced the audience. Towards the end of the set, the tempo was upped, with the band demanding that we at the back stop “standing around looking cool,” as they launched into their audacious finale ‘Throw Away’.
But where to from here? At one point it seemed as though The Flaws were on an unstoppable up. They have produced an undoubtedly solid catalogue of tracks, only to hit a blunt plateau in terms of recognition. Wherever they’re heading, let’s hope it’s somewhere with perfectly-tuned instruments and flawless sound.