Angelica Mode are an Edinburgh-based three-piece built around identical Dublin-born twins — singer-songwriter/guitarist Brian Hughes and bassist-synth wielder Martin Hughes — plus Stevie Sticks on drums. Formed in 2020, they’ve clearly spent the last few years chiselling their sound into something sharp, tuneful and already brimming with confidence. Tonight at The Cow Shed they showed exactly why they’re beginning to buzz beyond the backroom.

They opened with Porcelain — a jangly, sharp-edged statement of intent that immediately recalled Johnny Marr’s shimmer but driven with a punkier thrust. It was the sort of opener that makes you stand up straighter, as if to say: we’re here, pay attention. Straight after, Angels Broken Homes injected some proper Undertones bite — raw, melodic and full of that scrappy swagger that makes a room of strangers feel like a gang.

From there the set unfolded with growing assurance. Songs of Discontent flexed their instrumental muscle, proving this trio can switch from wiry riffs to full-on sonic assault in the space of a chorus. Diamond in the Rough carried the kind of lad-rock bravado that would sit comfortably next to early Arctic Monkeys — all tense guitars and smirking defiance. When Foolish Me slowed the tempo, it allowed the Rory Gallagher undertones to creep through, bluesy and unhurried, a welcome gear change that deepened rather than broke momentum.

The middle section showed off their range: Mother’s Arms came out tender but purposeful, a song that sounded like it already belonged on a much bigger stage, while Dead Men dug into darker corners, all brooding menace and thunderclap percussion. And then there was Sweet — their debut single and still a pure rush, fizzing with the kind of chorus that makes you imagine it spilling out of festival tents by mid-afternoon.

But the song of the night was These Days. Imagine early Kooks if they’d swapped some of the polish for grit and played it like their lives depended on it. It’s catchy, confident, and instantly anthemic — one of those rare tracks that makes you want to hear it again the second it ends.

They closed with Tell, Tell Heart, their latest release, and it felt like a coronation. This one’s already an anthem-in-waiting: a proper arms-aloft closer, all soaring chorus and conviction, the sort of thing that lingers long after the house lights come up.

Brian Hughes’s vocals deserve special mention — sharp, flexible, brimming with character. There’s a hint of Miles Kane in the phrasing, but he’s no impersonator; his delivery carries its own restless pulse, the kind that marks a frontman people will follow. With Martin’s basslines anchoring everything in restless motion and Stevie Sticks attacking the kit with grin-inducing force, the chemistry on stage is undeniable.

Angelica Mode, on this form, they’ve already stepped up a level. They’ve got the songs, the swagger, and the belief — they are no longer one to watch, on this form and progression they are a must watch.

****

Reviewed by Steve H

Venue  Underbelly – Cow Shed

Time 21.00

Until date 17th Aug