BBC Introducing… Cody Frost and Daisy Brain
Lexington, London

AFTER yet another hiatus, London’s Lexington has reopened for live gigs, this time with a showcase from the BBC Introducing series.

Cody Frost — a former teenage contestant on TV talent show The Voice — opens the night.

She starts simple, pared back, with just keys and her voice to the fore, but soon segues into an emo metal melee that has much to offer.

Frost projects confidence — although that might also be some front as she calls on the audience to “boogie” to help her.

Second track High/Bye mixes metal, rock and that strong voice with some of the bon mots and lyrical play of Kate Nash.

There are also echoes of Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches in the mix, and third track Chaos adds some glitch like beats and loops.

New single Berlin — played live for the first time — brings to mind some of the dreamy ethereal pop of Purity Ring, as does Stomachaches, which slows the musical pace down before rocking out again.

Cody Frost’s sharp, subtle and sensitive set gets a deservedly warm reception.

Daisy Brain is songwriter Will Tse’s musical project. Touted by Yungblud who offered him a support slot on his last sell-out tour, there is a definite musical furrow that Daisy Brain is ploughing.

Grunge and American rock of the early ’90s are a bit too high in the mix, but nevertheless it’s a taut set that gets the audience going.

That’s all the more surprising as they’ve only been playing live shows since last September, but this short set ending with stand out track Boring was anything but.

Boring is a bubblegum grunge rock anthem that rings of Nirvana channelling the Smashing Pumpkins displaying some of the lyrical archness of Weezer; it’s the start of a musical journey.

Tse looks like he’s at home on stage, the band are surprisingly tight, even with a stand-in guitarist, but perhaps a bit too beholden to their influences.

There’s scope for Tse to grow, expand and create more of his own sound, but Daisy Brain’s talents are visible and vibrant if a little too reliant on a particular time and specific sound.

See Cody Frost on Saturday April 30-May 1 2022 at Liverpool City Centre tbc. Daisy Brain tour dates February-May 2022 at ents24.com.

MIK SABIERS