Metronomy: Live at the Olympia Theatre

Devon electro-poppers Metronomy breezed into Dublin and kicked-off their Love Letters European tour in cooler-than-cool fashion in front of a packed Olympia.

The band’s fourth LP (and third reinvention) finds Joseph Mount and company dabbling in a variety of ‘60s pop sounds. It’s the outrageously retro ‘Love Letters’ that gets punters grooving early on, with bundles of positive energy emanating from singer and bassist Olugbenga as she delivers one of the catchiest hooks you’ll hear this year.

If you’ve seen the group’s recent Michel Gondry-directed vid you’ll be familiar with their clobber: fitted beige pants, black shirts and tailored wine blazers all-round. Paired with the art deco stage design and lighting, it could all seem a little pretentious. Only Metronomy have the firepower to back it up, drawing on their back catalogue to compliment the new tracks.

‘The Look’ with its playful keyboard and jazzy synths goes down a treat, the crowd chipping in impressively on backing vocals and ‘The Bay’ hits all the right notes, angular synth stabs punctuating Mount’s glossy vocals and Olugbenga’s slick baselines perfectly.

They can be dark and mysterious too: ‘I’m Aquarius’ is upgraded from electro-pop jangle to moody beast as the synths swell and smoulder without ever reaching the point of euphoria (that wouldn’t be very Metronomy, would it?)

Love Letters is a bit of a slowburner – similarly their live set demands patience, your full attention and a little hard work. But Metronomy (not a bead of sweat evident or hair out of place) repay the faith with a committed, note perfect turn.