Credit: Found On Internet

A wet sunday night at ULU, and the London streets are quite unusually barren. Paul Steel and his merry band take the stage. Steel's foppish hair means we don’t get to see his face for some time left to admire his massive keyboard and wondering what his extra gadgets are. This hairy man (no bad thing!) belts it out jovially. The sound instantly makes me think of Ben Folds Five; the piano sound, the vocal style. Then lazily a bunch of other comparisons turn up.

It's totally Virgin Radio-friendly indie pop that, that sometimes dips into Mika-type tracks with almost showtune quality. The backing singers have fun with little dance moves that come off like a little version of The Commitments. Then there are some Queen-y little stabs courtesy of guitarist Rachael Wood.

The bits where Wood is occasionally let off her leash are some of my favourite moments. Whether it be that suddenly Brain May break, or a full blown wail, she is definitely one-to-watch for the future, guitar-fans.

The feelgood wholesome living vibe depresses me a bit. They all seem so young and enthusiastic, untwisted by the bitterness that winter and a looming recession in the city brings. But maybe that is just me thinking about whether I should get a job for 2008...

The songs are rounded and well-crafted, but on the whole totally pop and sometimes drag on a bit, like a slow Westlife ballad might. The two best bits are when they

a) rock out
b) electro out

...at these breaks, all the members of the band suddenly go mental and look like they are having fun. I am having fun too! The other times leave me cold and wondering why everyone in the audience is around 40. I guess the industry presence at this show means they are headed for big things.