Review: ASIWYFA
A trip to Cardiff for some gigland action is always a worthwhile mission, but it especially helps when you kow the fruits of your labour will culminate in an aural mauling from one of the best instrumental outfits currently in existence.
...And So I Watch You From Afar can also be tagged as one of the hardest touring bands around. The release of their second album, Gangs, has also upped the frenzy in and around them, although the majority of the rock crowd are yet to tune in and push them towards bigger venue territory.
And so it was with fists clenched that we stepped into the top floor of Clwb Ifor Bach, where second support band Mojo Fury were just finishing. Their climax sounded good, but is hardly grounds for a review - hey, we came from Swansea and that takes time, y'know? (Which also means first support band Exit International were home tucked up in bed by the time we got there.)
ASIWYFA entered as they always do - with confidence and focus. Blistering first track BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION also opens the new album, and manages to have their instantly recognisible sound while pioneering a fresher, tighter angle.
Further offerings from Gangs immediately followed, before earlier output such as If It Ain't Broke, Break It and S Is For Salamander were put in the mix. The band give their guitars a right thrashing, while pin-up drummer Chris Wee holds the schizo time changes and rhino-heavy beats tightly in place.
The encore saw two of their most popular tracks hammered out, Set Guitars To Kill and the stunningly meloncholic The Voiceless, before we left for home and they left for the next city on an endless list of venues and festivals to destroy.
If you like your sounds instrumental and loud but with moments of reflection, you'd do very well to catch these boys on their next visit.
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