It's quite some time since Puressence's eponymous debut album back in 1996, and a long four years since the follow-up 'Only Forever'.  Back then, Puressence's Mancunian brand of indie recalled Joy Division in its content, and Oasis in the production stakes.  Six years down the line finds the band keeping that template, performing what could be a tribute act to almost every band to come from Greater Manchester.

Like JJ72's Mark Greaney and Mercury Rev's Jonathan Donahue, singer James Mudriczki's falsetto vocals provoke a love or hate reaction amongst music fans.  By the aloof appearance of the crowd here in the three-quarters full Wedgewood Rooms, many in attendance looked to be experiencing Puressence for the first time, and getting to grips with their criminally ignored back catalogue.

Support act Echoboy are a revelation, with a well-crafted blend of New Order (albeit as if performed by Pink Floyd) and a drummer that must have been reared on a diet of seventies disco beats.  In theory it should all fall apart at the seams, but Richard Warren's confident and tight tunes are warmed to by the crowd, and leave this reviewer vowing to fill the gap that Echoboy's three albums have blatantly left in his record collection.

Puressence give the impression of a band playing on despite a lack of critical acclaim in the music press.  They shouldn't worry.  While NME salivates over anything sounding vaguely lo-fi and dated from the United States, they do so at the expense of the decent musicians still parading this country's goods and wares.  Of course, Puressence sound retro, but if The Strokes can rehash seventies garage rock without claims of unoriginality, Puressence should be left alone to do their own thing without their new album being unfairly slammed by the press.  Throughout the set, James tries to drum up support for the band, and while appearing anything but charismatic, the crowd is suitably won over by the end of the night.

The set list includes tunes from all three albums, from the opener - recent single 'Walking Dead' - to the epic encore of the debut album's 'India', all bravely performed without the complex backing vocals featured on the studio recordings.  Sparse keyboard sounds and samples compliment the guitar and bass, creating a complex mix over which James' voice glides proudly - forming a whole which is more than the sum of its parts.  In an ideal world, tunes like 1998's 'Sharpen Up The Knives' and new song 'Make Time' would be heralded as modern classics - not least for their poetic, thought provoking lyrics.  Unfortunately, in this age of Pop Academy shows, genuine talent is getting under promoted and overlooked.  Full credit to Island Records for sticking by Puressence.

If this tour continues winning over new fans, then we should see further long players from Puressence, but in commercial terms they currently remain our little secret.

Review: Andrew Morrison