There's one thing, more than any other, that marks Crashland out from the current crop of much-touted punk noise botherers.
It's not their debt to all things Brit Pop, from Alex Troup's elegantly twisted vocals to the fey swagger of 'Modern Animal'. Neither is it the fact they call trip hop's alma mater, Bristol, home.
No, what marks them out from At The Drive-In, Hundred Reasons, My Vitriol et al is an apparent disinterest in playing. But it's not as if they stand there, unmoving (although the bassist does try his best): Troup manages the unbelievable feat of plucking his guitar like it's a particularly troublesome chicken, shaking his head as if he's trying to get his ears to pop, careering up and down the stage and opening his mouth to the point where it looks like it'll rip while displaying absolutely no expression.
The odd track like 'New Perfume' has enough attitude to cope, but the set's overwhelming tepidness is hardly fired up by a man who finds even ennui too much of an effort.
A lack of enthusiam doesn't trouble country-tinged surf punks Everclear. A bounding mass of scissor kicks, rock leaping and wall to wall grinning, they're chucking out enough energised bonhomie to keep you buzzing for weeks.
Never mind that much of their songs plumb the depths of drug-induced destitution amidst battering rams of drum and guitars - to look at him, you'd think ex-drug-induced destitue Art Alexakis was singing the joys of Prozac to chirpy life-affirming melodies. Unfortunately he is in a sense, as although they are wisely ignoring much of current and nauseatingly upbeat album, 'Songs From An American Movie Volume 1: Learning How to Smile', 'AM Radio' -which is reminiscent of Big Country- and 'Wonderful' which is nothing less than a rock barn dance, do get a look in.
The rest of their set - lyrically bleak, strongly melodic bad-assed ditties like 'Amphetamine' which have brought them stardom in the US - was made for people who like the idea of the Chili Peppers but can't stop listening to Steve Earle. So it's unlikely they'll ever repeat their success over here. Still, if all you want to do is mosh yourself stupid, don a Stetson and smile until the wind changes , Everclear are the people to see.
