The biggest cheer of the evening came not for a song, but for a moment when the Magic Numbers stopped briefly for a breather, surveyed the audience and smiled. The genuine affection between band and fans crackled through the air, prompting the front man Romeo Stodart to join in the applause and the others to grin sheepishly.

Magic Numbers concerts have always been something of a love-in — their soft, country rock and the sweet harmonies of two sets of siblings have no angular edges and the impact is akin to a hug from a friend. Plus, it’s hard to feel anything but fondness for folk who flout every rule of modern pop. Last year’s debut album was, at heart, deeply unhip, yet it became the sound of the summer. Their looks, meanwhile, may have prompted sniggers — bulky bodies, bad hair, clothes that could have come from BHS — but their fans love them for it.

From the start Stodart & Co seemed determined to shake off some of their fluffier associations. Trying not to smile, they tore through This is a Song, a stomping rocker from the new album Those the Brokes that built into a wall of melodic noise.

The bassist Angela Gannon held her instrument low, turned her back on the crowd and stamped her foot as though auditioning for Guns’N’Roses, Stodart attacked his red guitar and his sister Michele shook a tambourine like a dangerous weapon. The tougher stance continued through several new tracks, but couldn’t hide the fact that most were sub-standard. The problem with Those the Brokes is not that it is darker than its predecessor, but that many of its songs sound unfinished — like demos that repeat one idea all the way though. The recent single Take a Chance peaked within a minute and failed to move even the front few rows to shuffle their feet.

A seven-piece string section was brought on for Boy and Let Somebody In, but what should have added class simply augmented the sombreness of the new songs. The contrast with the joyful vibes generated by old numbers such as Forever Lost, a fabulously hicksville The Mule and gorgeous, sibling-duet I See You, You See Me was startling.

In the past, the Magic Numbers have covered Beyoncé in the encore, this time they tackled Bob Dylan. The suggestion, perhaps, was to take them more seriously. Unfortunately, we liked them more when they were fun.

www.themagicnumbers.net

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