Slipping confidently onto the stage to the sound of some of their new electronic gadgets, Flow clearly showed why they're known as a small venues band. Their set was a short one, but it showed the strength they've found in their recent transitions.

Flow's new material shows a slightly harder and darker sound than the light indie-pop found on their 1996 album Sense. With plenty of delay on the guitars and prominent bass, the sound still contains elements of the Sundays and Radiohead, but they've been mixed up more and the sound veers closer to more recent Radiohead (albeit with less prog-rock tendencies). Helen B. Ward is perfectly at home on the stage and her vocals moved easily through the material, ending with the powerful vocals of "SloMo," which is sonically dark and almost foreboding. A strange, but powerful way to end.

The material was all fairly new, and the band has recently invested in a few new toys. The bright-sounding keyboard (a vibraphone patch) brought in on "Icarus Girl" helped make that song one of the standouts, adding a touch of 60s pop to make it one of the lightest songs of the evening. Other new effects added atmosphere with the tracks used as the band entered the stage for "Pink Light Zone" and on "SloMo." They help the band stand out more clearly from many of their indie-pop colleagues on the pub and club circuit.

The band has obviously been working on its stage show, and they are moving around with an air of confidence as well as cohesiveness. Bassist Daren Allder and guitarist Prod added backing vocals, while second guitarist Harv Jessop handled the electronics. The rhythm section was led by the tight drumming of Bono (no, not that one) and has an increased prominence with some strong bass lines from Allder.

It has taken a while for Flow to return to their stride after an extended absence from the live scene but they certainly seem to have taken some big steps. The new material shows a different side of Flow, but it is a positive development. The set at the Monarch was unfortunately short, but with more dates coming up, it will be interesting to see if the quality material stretches to a longer show.