I get serious FOMO when I don’t manage to secure gig tickets. In the case of The Night Café — a band I’ve dipped in and out of for years but have become obsessively into lately — I was particularly gutted not to have caught one of their shows in February. 

Their gentle, unassuming blend of indie demonstrates what’s so wholesome about the genre. They can crank up the guitars when it’s required, but boy, they can whip up far softer, more wistful melodies, too. I find myself hopelessly resigned to replaying their debut album, ’0151’, over and over again until the speakers want to start smoking. It’s a delight to spin radio-style in the background while writing, but the same goes for rinsing it at volume. 

‘Felicity’, ‘Please’ and ‘Turn’ are obvious favourites for me, while I’m tirelessly hooked on ‘Addicted’ (they did warn of that reaction in its name). But ‘Strange Clothes’ and ‘I’m Fine’ get a bit meatier in the rock riffs, which I certainly have no complaints about. 

Of course, “you can’t fault them” is a bold statement. I don’t know whether it’s just the tunes or whether they bring out a reflective, melancholic vibe that matches my default mood a lot of the time. Either way, they’re so technically sharp that they really do understand the assignment: how to produce a pretty seamless record. I’m absolutely spellbound by everything The Night Café has on its infectiously palatable menu. 

Top tracks

Here’s an amuse-bouche to get you acquainted:

► ‘Felicity’

► ‘Please’

► ‘Addicted’

► ‘Turn’

► ‘Finders Keepers’