Starsailor

>UEALCR, Norwich

Watching James Walsh screaming out Starsailor's latest single Crossfire, you feel as if the band has turned a corner.

In 2001, with the release of Love Is Here, the band were almost written off as another middle-of-the-road Indie band before they began. Then the release of the second album Silence Is Easy saw critics once again struggling to place the band who didn't slot easily into any genre at the time.

But two years on with the release of On The Outside, the band display a new confidence. There has never been any doubt about James' ability to write songs that are both beautiful and haunting. But it now no longer matters where the band sit musically so long as they continue to write the quality of songs that saw their first two albums reach number two in the album chart.

From some pretty nifty lighting to a crisp, tight performance, it feels as if Starsailor have stepped up a level.

They might only be in their 20s but they are already veterans, as James reminds us, telling us just how many times the band has been to Norwich before. He has one of the best voices in contemporary rock and songs like Alcoholic and Good Souls live send a shiver down the spine. By the time the band finish on Silence Is Easy they look as if they are really enjoying themselves.