Truly Medley Deeply

Watching Truly Medley Deeply perform is a truly frustrating experience. The Cambridge student trio have such obvious musicality that they feel hopelessly wasted in their chosen pop-medley format. They bring their guitars, synths and mandolins to bear on a predictable lineup of pop hits with significant technical flair and an unabashedly cheesy cheeriness, but one nonetheless suspects that Nick Goodwin, Dominic Johnpillai and Charlie Cotton could be doing something far more original.

But whatever their creative motives, it's hard to deny that Truly Medley Deeply have a put together a polished show. The medleys aren't particularly adventurous, but they are at least well-executed. A potentially awkward traverse from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Dizzee Rascal via Vanilla Ice is carried off with some deftness, while a well-rehearsed recitation of past UK number one singles (from the likes of Roll Deep, Katy Perry, Owl City, Cee-Lo Green) proves remarkably engaging. A personalised medley for a hen party who happen to be in the audience is a sweet touch, if a little more rough-and-ready than their other arrangements.

Along with most of their source material, Truly Medley Deeply squat firmly and unashamedly in the middle of the road. All three are decent if unremarkable vocal talents, but their apparent reluctance to take many musical risks (even their "clash of genres" medley feels like a safe bet) means that the novelty inevitably wears off. It's a fun show, but ultimately a gimmick.