CoCo and the Butterfields - Poppy Folk Rock is pleasant in London

***1/2

Promising Poppy Folk act, hits the big stage

CoCo and the Butterfields ***1/2 are here tonight in London at the Shepherds Bush, o2 Empire, supporting Texan giants Blue October and their is quite a buzz going around about them. I have been told many good things about CoCo and the Butterfields, so I made sure I turned up early in order to catch their set. I have to say I have seen posters, and adverts around the place for them... but I had never heard their music before. So I didn't know totally what I had in store for myself, but I knew they where a band I needed to check out.

They announce that they are from Canterbury, which I think is very strange because I just have been their on a mini holiday. But it made me want to listen to them more, and see what the music of Canterbury sounded like. And to be honest, I think their Folk Pop sound... really went with the feel of the place. Female singer Dulcima Showan, has gone a long way since Eurovision 2016 (You Decide) where she sung 'When you Go' to a studio audience.

At moments in CoCo and the Butterfields performance, she showed why they should use her more promennant in the band. Her vocals are really strong, sounding like a young Florence (Florence and the Machine), which I think they should use more. In CoCo and the Butterfields she kind of shares lead vocals with singer Tom Twyman, who has a more Arctic Monkeys / The Libertines vibe to him. Well if you mix it with Pop Punk boyband singer Brad Simpson (The Vamps), and a village Folk singer. I do actually quite like his vocals at time, but I think they are way to low in the mix. When you have to lead singers, they need to compete with each other... and at times Dulcima outshines Tom because her vocals are just so powerful.

They are a very, get on your feet and participate... join in... join in kind of band. And I am a more of a hide in the corner, and look moody kind of guy. Maybe this is why I like Blue October so much, and am here tonight. But I can see it really works for a lot of people tonight in London, and a lot of audience are even videoing a lot of the bands performance so they must really like them. Maybe it's because London, simply likes a banjo solo. And CoCo and the Butterfields has one of these in 'Robot's'. Or is it the clappy happy sound of 'Battlegrounds', that is a sing-a-long song.

You can tell why they have played the Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals, they are just the right type of band to play these type of venues. With the Lawson / Rubylux esq. 'Monsters', to 'Puppets' which I think the bands vocals and harmonies sound the best on, they are already veterans in their Folk Pop genre. And they command themselves very well on stage. Dulcima is great when she let's herself go with the feel of the music, and on the tracks I don't know so well... after listening to them a bit after the show to write this review... she really comes into her own.

And her connection with Tom is really nice, actually the connection between all the band members is really nice. You can hear the cheers as they break into 'Animals', one of the bands most popular songs... but I have to say one of the bands least interesting songs. I think their other material is far better, I have heard so many similar tracks to this one before... so doesn't really have any impact on me.

They announce they will be doing their own headline tour in October, and I think this actually work for them very well. For me they work very well as a support band, but they seem to be winning a lot of people over. So I think they might sell a lot of tickets, for their own headline show... but I can't see myself running out quickly to purchase them.

I have to say this is really not my thing, yes it is pleasant and they had a few very nice moments in their set. It's not bad, it's just not for me... but my girlfriend I was with really liked them. And I can see the market they appeal to, and they really do what they are meant to. So they are just not for me, but I think they are going to be very successful. I think CoCo and the Butterfields are worth checking out, because I think they will do some very interesting music in the future. I could hear many glimpses of where they could produce, some classic Pop Rock songs... so are ones for the future.

Coco and the Butterfields - Setlist
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Battlegrounds 
Puppets
Robots 
King of the Corner
Monsters
Feel

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour

Check Out! the Video for 'Animals' Below...