Those Dancing Days – The Lexington, London 08/12/10

Five years ago, a quintet of Stockholm schoolgirls formed a band named after a Led Zeppelin song. Following in the footsteps of fellow pop-tastic Swedes The Shout Out Louds and The Concretes, their Northern Soul-influenced indie pop transcended the confines of their native country and by 2007, they’d hit the gig venues of London town. In truth, back then they got by just as much on youthful enthusiasm as dazzling instrumental talent; although they were already dab hands when it came to songwriting, they were still finding their feet in terms of performance.

But come 2010, and Those Dancing Days have progressed leaps and bounds. The new material from upcoming second LP Daydreams & Nightmares suggests less cutesy direction for the band, reflected by the forthrightly titled ‘Fuckarias’, a raucous riff-driven slice of power pop that’s a world away from the bubblegum balladry of their debut.

They’ve also stepped up their live performance accordingly; they’re a hell of a lot tighter and punchier than they were in the past, with the sterling drumwork of Cissi Efraimsson really coming into its own. But thankfully, their shift into rockier territory hasn’t resulted in a rock band attitude; in fact, they’re even more energetic and girlishly charming than before. Indeed, it’s rare to see a band that so obviously enjoy performing; a refreshing change from the dour hipsters and subdued beardy types that tend to dominate the London gig scene.

Their old material is delivered with panache, with the synths of ‘Hitten’ sharper and brighter than ever, and not even Frankie (of the Heartstrings fame) could cast a shadow over this most delightful of sets. There’s nothing edgy about them, nothing that’ll redefine the way you think about music, but for unpretentious indie-pop par excellence, Those Dancing Days are at the top of their game.