Most cobbled-together music scenes bear little relation to what's really going on in the world of rock'n'roll. The latest buzzword is "New Yorkshire", in recognition of the fact that the county seems to be full of outrageously talented young musicians. That makes perfect sense. But while Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys can stake their claims as two of the UK's most successful bands, the Long Blondes as the most stylish, and the Cribs as the most cult, Duels - a five-piece based in Leeds - seem to have fallen by the wayside.
It's certainly not due to lack of ability, nor lack of catchy pop tunes: their debut album, The Bright Lights and What I Should Have Learned, is chock full of should-be hits. So it's more than a little confusing as to why Duels have failed to engage the British public.
A glance at guitarist Jim Foulger tells you all you need to know about who and what this band worship. With his Brett Anderson hair, Jarvis Cocker velvet blazer and Damon Albarn wooden beads, he's a Britpop photo-fit. Things, with its opening line "Here comes the thunder, here comes the fear", mixes intense student foppery and chugging electric guitars to produce something that Suede no doubt toyed with 10 years ago. The Monsters Are Loose has a similar feel, despite singer Jon Foulger (Jim's brother) pulling out an acoustic guitar and perching on a leather stool.
It's on new song I Mosquito that the band really come into their own. Its taut new wave spinning into fully fledged, angry ballroom punk, it is possibly the best song of the night, partly because it doesn't sound like a relic of Britpop. This is a sure sign that if the Duels do things their own way, and not someone else's, they might yet make it.
· At the Old Blue Last, London EC2, on September 26. Box office: 0870 0600 100.
