Shoegazing is connected to many things, but perhaps too rarely to pop music.

Bar, say, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Nirvana or Teenage Fanclub, the genre is regularly seen as the attempt of art students to make highbrow art… often at the sake of a strong melody.

Loveless proved that, with concentrated effort, it was possible to produce a strong pop song within the boundaries of highbrow art; A song could break a person’s heart whilst overloading their senses with raw power and reverb.

Newcastle’s arty rock band Coquin Migale push (yes, push) the MBV template further to both the pop and the art extremes.  They hide serious musicianship (Jack Brooks), serious artistic vision and serious vocal delivery (Alex Soper) under a cover of boy next door outfits and between song humour.

The truth is that they sound as good as anything the Valentines or the (Sonic) Youths have done.

Reminding me of Diiv, this is brilliant.

Support: The Family Jools, Mouses