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Auntie Annies feels disappointingly empty for this latest installment of the fledgling Animal Disco club. It鈥檚 more than likely that the limited crowd is due to Fight Like Apes鈥� performance just round the corner, but this isn鈥檛 the only reason. Compared to acts that have recently graced the stage of Annie鈥檚 like Cashier No 9 and Master & Dog, Desert Hearts haven鈥檛 got that oh so necessary hype surrounding them at the minute. The band are somewhat reclusive compared to some acts locally, seemingly going AWOL for months at a time before playing a show and then dropping back into the shadows once again.

Yet there鈥檚 genuinely no act quite like Desert Hearts on these shores. Their volatility and their sheer unpredictability coupled with their impressive back catalogue means this reviewer has simply no idea what鈥檚 going to happen from one gig to the next. With numerous lineup changes over the past decade, we鈥檙e not even sure who we鈥檒l see beside Charlie Mooney & Roisin Stewart on stage. Things seem to have changed, however. Their label, No Dancing, has promised new material from the band while Stuart Bell (ex Panama Kings) and Stephen 鈥淟eaky鈥� Leacock (the drummer from General Fiasco) are sticking around for the long haul.

So what of their performance tonight? It鈥檚 definitely a gig of two halves. The band kicks off with their new material, an aural trip back to the early 1990s: relatively upbeat, Pavementesque college rock tracks with some nice and subtle dynamic changes. While the new material is promising in a live setting, it isn鈥檛 quite as intense as the rest of the set and as such some of the crowd seem to lose interest. The band鈥檚 stage presence is more muted than usual but can be forgiven due to the relative novelty of the songs. A few more gigs under their belt and things will hopefully be up to speed.

There鈥檚 a distinct moment when things change for Desert Hearts. 鈥淣ew Kings鈥� is more familiar territory for the band with that dark self-confidence we know so well returning with aplomb. Likening Desert Hearts to the Pixies should not be viewed as an insult by any means: there鈥檚 solid basslines, great guitar riffs and a rambunctious, self-destructive attitude that flows through the veins of the band creating an enticing spectacle akin to the legendary Boston band.

That lack of intensity highlighted earlier is no longer an issue and the crowd is well and truly paying attention as the band draw upon their albums Let鈥檚 Get Worse and Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki. 鈥淣o More Art鈥� is their showstopper, breathlessly kicking things into fifth gear. Drummer Leaky is in his element, propelling things forward at a breakneck speed. We鈥檙e only given a moment鈥檚 break before the raw, domineering bassline of 鈥淪ea Punk鈥� rings out, retaining that precious momentum and energy before unleashing one final guitar solo upon the audience. The set climaxes a track too early and there鈥檚 an awkward pause before the band deliver their final new song of the night that marks a more measured approach in comparison to the unabashed album tracks previously performed: almost anthemic in nature, rising and falling before a distortion-heavy finale.

Before the guitars finally come to rest, Mooney puts on his duffel coat and retreats from the stage. Their stage presence may be a little lacking at times and their newer material not quite ready for mass market consumption, but Desert Hearts are as thrilling in 2011 as they were in 2001.

Patrick Kane