By Miz DeShannon

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The Ruby Lounge, Manchester, Thursday 12 August 2010

Hebden Bridge, hippy centre of the north, full of beautiful cottages, carefree kids and a plethora of super-cool musicians making happy-go-lucky music. That's where you'll usually find Jayn Hanna and The Steals. After a headline show supporting School of Seven Bells earlier in month Jayn and her band of merry musicians returned to The Ruby Lounge for their own headline gig.

Such a slight front woman, she really does looks like a woodland dwelling elf, with flowing hair and wonderfully ethereal vocals, dwarfed by her vintage guitar. The four-piece had a bunch of epic songs to guide us gently through their evening of fairytales, starting with the beautiful 'Out of Your Hands'.

The bands fourth song 'The Wreckage' started with a thumping floor tom like a heartbeat, with lyrics like that of an old sea shanty, Jayn acting the siren throughout. Despite songs like 'Borderlines' and 'Sinner' being a little similar, each having wailing walls of feedback to finish, that's just the sound this outfit creates; floaty dreamy psych-inspired wonders. The set, all in all, was an awe inspiring performance of music reminiscent of a folkier Black Mountain.

As the BBC's Chris Long said, it was "like standing in the path of a tsunami and loving every, breathless, endless moment."

MDS