Painting in Black and White.

• Reflections on why it's acceptable to compare every noisey two-piece indie rock act to The White Stripes.

On Friday night a friend of mine took me to see the Gaslight Anthem. They deliver what they promise. Anthems.

Anyway, more contentious was the entirely inappropriately chosen main support, Blood Red Shoes. The loud Brighton-based double act bombed. It's not that there's anything particularly terrible about them - sloppy time keeping and gratuitous PA system-based introductory music that staggers into a first track in an awkwardly different key are sins which can be forgiven as misplaced enthusiasm - it's just that there's nothing particularly interesting about them.

Let's just say they're no White Stripes.

"No!" you'll complain. "Comparing every indie rock duo to The White Stripes is predictable and unfair. It would be like comparing 95% of all rock bands to The Beatles simply because they also happen to have four members." While I agree with you in principle, the reality is that the comparisons are unavoidable. A heavily distorted guitar accompanied solely by a drum kit is an extremely limited and specific musical palette. If you choose to restrict your resources in this manner then you unavoidably face comparison with the act that perfected the formula.

Picture, if you will excuse the pun, an artist choosing to create a new work using nothing but black ink on white paper. If the artist were a good one, there would be a reason behind this decision. He would innovate. Depth, tone, and expression would have to be represented in a manner not requiring colour, or their absence would have to be felt for a very specific and thought-provoking reason. No absence would be felt.

There would be a big difference between such a competent painting and a painting which was merely unfinished - a series of black lines waiting to be coloured in.

The White Stripes represent the master artist here. Their limited palette works because Jack White is simply an extremely competent and innovative guitar player. Moreover, their particular blues rock influenced niche lends itself well to both rhythm and lead duties being handled by the one guitar.

Death From Above 1979 pull it off by making so much noise and having so much energy that any additional band members would be drowned out and left behind.

Last month Two Gallants successfully deployed the formula on The Bloom and the Blight. Sure, not every track on that album is a keeper (although let me assure you that some are), but it works because both drummer and guitarist have enough musical charisma to keep the whole thing interesting.

Blood Red Shoes however create unfinished paintings for no apparent reason. Rather than do something creative with the two person formula, they write uninspiring rock songs without colour or variation. Now, having a lead guitarist or bass player wouldn't instantly make the band interesting - a bland song is a bland song - but it would at least be a start.  

It's a shame though to come to such a conclusion when the resources for innovation are definitely already available. Both band members sing. Two vocalists: one male, one female. Do we see interesting lyrics, interplay, harmonies, and novel ways of highlighting the natural contrast between their voices, leaving us convinced that any band with more than two members is acting in a lazy or self indulgent manner? No. They take it in turns to do the exact same thing. Yell. Different gender, same yelling.

Big. Snare. And. Crash. Cymbal. Bangs. On. Each. Beat. Of. The. Bar. Accompanying. Big. Ol'. Power. Chords. And. Shouting. Only. Works. In. Moderation.