The Loves I Haven't Known

Chris Bush and Ian McCluskey describe themselves as a bit like Flight of the Conchords, and it’s not a bad comparison. Like the Antipodean twosome, they’re armed with guitars on which they play unashamedly silly songs: for instance, a momentarily bleak note in their show, in which Ian declares that “we’re all staring into the abyss,”  becomes the hilariously juvenile tune 'Wanking into the Abyss.'

They’re also, as the aforementioned song might indicate, unlucky in love – or so they tell us. The Loves I Haven’t Known is a paean to unrequited and unexpressed love. Alternating through song and speech, Bush and McCluskey lament girls they’ve loved and admired and to whom, for a range of reasons, they’ve never articulated their desires. These stories aren’t all their own: earlier this year, the duo asked fans on their blog to share their stories about “loves that never were,” and plan to tell different stories each night.

It’s a nice touch that’s indicative of the warm community feeling that surrounds Bush and McCluskey, who also brought us past Fringe hit, Tony! The Blair Musical. This new show is uncompromisingly romantic, but it veers back from the precipice of mawkishness with some savage one-liners. It won’t be for everyone; a few of the songs drag and if you don’t like novelty guitar pop with a heartfelt edge, then stay away. But The Loves I Haven’t Known is a genuine, sweetly foolish attempt to capture the comedy and anguish of letting ‘the one that got away’ get away.