Harlem / Spectrals / The Lucid Dream @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London

When a band first sets up, the process of choosing names can be a wonder of myth and rumour that journalists speculate over and attempt to contextualise to the point of idiocy. The reality of reading it from the back of the Crunchy Nut Cornflakes box is surely much more disappointing.

So to find a band like The Lucid Dream, whose music so perfectly compliments their namesake, is utterly enlightening. Creepily, the psychedelic, heavily reverbed set puts us in that nether world between sleep and awake, dreamy and sensual, but also pretty heavy going.

Comparatively, Spectrals mid-tempo tunes have faint echoes of a 50s group being played on a worn out 33”. Racking up a bit, L’s troupe break into a Milkshake track (i.e. Billy Childish) with a bit of jive and tambourine; it’s really rather good.

The drummer has mastered the roll required of his skins and loosely plays while the guitars, the kind you expect to hear in Elvis films set in Honalulu, chime with mixed background organ sounds. The slower, more strung-out guitaring of ‘I Ran With Love But I Couldn’t Keep Up’ makes for downhearted earnestness and sounds more like something The Coral or SFA would write, with playful themes and metaphorical lyrics.

New single ‘Peppermint’ is more of a Buddy Holly number, even echoing the warble style of vocal and alternating of light and shade. It’s begun to feel like a high school prom scene at the closing credits for American Graffiti, except with a northern English charm and an edge of doomier guitars.

Harlem are immediately a more adrenaline-inducing proposition with the gutteral yelps of ‘Friendly Ghost’. They are super tight, drummer and guitarist in vocal unity, while the bassist mouths the words and looks like butter wouldn’t melt. The Austin threesome invite us all to join in their dance “like retards”, before asking us to watch the rough-housing on account of the ladies.

A mid-set musical chairs sees the drummer take up frontman duties, which he does with obvious ease and a slightly looser Jack White singing style. ‘Witch Greens’ marks his entrance, a sing-song of easy juggernaut propulsion with Black Lips blues-country. ‘Someday Soon’ is just as whiny and childish as it is joyous on record, the shattering drum and thrum of bass live are a bonus touch.

Set highlight ‘South Of France’ is the request from the crowd, marked by ferocious lyrics, catchy melody and all-consuming aceness. Whilst Harlem the band may be far removed from the black centre of culture they share their name with, they aren’t bad ambassadors for the neighbourhood if it’s anywhere near as much fun as they are.