Wellyn has received some favourable write-ups in the street press recently, so despite knowing very little about their work I was happy to review tham and their partners in crime, Transnational, at the Newtown Worker’s Club.

Transnational are a five-piece (four according to MySpace but five on stage) rock outfit who… well, let’s cut to the chase – they were irritating and boring. I could not understand a single thing lead singer Adam Boal said or sung, the guitars were distorted beyond recognition, like one’s face after acid has been poured on it, the drumming was mindless and totally unresponsive to the rest of the band, and they must have been playing to the floor as only once or twice did anyone of them deign to engage the audience.

There were a few minutes laced with irony as Boal struggled to get the right distortion from his pedals. I learn, after reading their MySpace that this is intentional as they are attempt to create a shoegaze sound. At its best shoegaze bands might create an all-enveloping cocoon of contrasting rhythms, melodies and harmonies within a pall of distortion designed to transport the listener to another place. So pardon me for being a philistine but Transnational were ghastly. You have been warned.

After a break to clear the stage Wellyn jumped on the stage. From the moment Nedd Jones opened his mouth I was immensely relieved. It was beautiful. Jones’ voice has a pain and world-weariness about it, not dissimilar to Tim Friedman. Like Friedman, it’s eminently sing-along-able which is a tick for radio play. Perhaps I was hypersensitive but the Wellyn lads created charming melodies that more than filled the small back room of the Worker’s Club. Matty Quinn’s keys and Pete Uhlenbruch on lead guitar worked a great call and response through out the gig that sat just underneath Jones’ vocals. It was truly a delight.

Wellyn have a somewhat mournful repertoire but it was more lively last Friday. Love Hills was the opening track and rather unfairly the punter behind me said they sounded like, Snow Patrol. That was like saying The Doves sound like Coldplay if you get my drift. The set also featured Happiness and The Rate of All Things. They have a strong focus on melody and their sound is greater than the sum of its parts. Wellyn were a pleasure to listen to.