Thursday, February 28, 2013

Little Green Cars, Manchester Soup Kitchen, 27th Feb 2013 9.5/10


All I'd heard of Little Green Cars was a short EP, and yet I was incredibly excited, given the buzz around them in the blogosphere. They've recently toured with Jake Bugg and been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, whilst their debut album is being produced by Markus Dravs who's worked with Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons. I felt incredibly privileged to see them on their first UK tour, all six of them crammed onto the stage of an intimate venue. On the evidence of my gig of 2013 so far, they're surely destined for much larger things.


Like the very credible support band, Gypsies on the Autobahn, they're based in Dublin, and I'd expected them to be a variant on the nu folk of Mumford and Sons. However, the first two songs, performed acoustically, were more reminiscent of a mixed gender version of the Staves, but with four part rather than three part harmony. Audaciously, they started a capella, and the rapt concentration in the room was palpable, as they rendered everyone spellbound. Then they exploded into life with the addition of bass, drums and guitars, with unexpected energy.


Influences such as Bob Dylan and Band of Horses have been mentioned, but they draw on a wider tradition than folk, and at times the intensity reminded me of Warpaint. With time, their stagecraft will improve, and as they move to larger venues they'll need to engage the audience more consciously with gestures, as do Of Monsters and Men. They will also develop a larger body of music, so they can play for longer than an hour, and probably develop more between song conversation. Yet none of this mattered last night.


Little Green Cars has that ability to energise a space, and to transport you away from the present. It's in part due to the fact that they play so tightly, and listen to each other keenly. They're not afraid to play quietly, and have the confidence to exploit a wide dynamic range, more akin to an orchestral concert than a rock gig. One blogger remarked after seeing them that there's a gospel ambiance to the set. He must have been referring to their remarkable vocal harmonisation, but what they've done is akin to Haim. The product of our iTunes age, they've drawn on a vast body of western music instantly accessible, and created an original blend based on layers of sound. Much though I love the Lumineers, I feel Little Green Cars' music is more forward looking, and they're more willing to take risks.


I suspect most of the audience, like me were listening to the majority of these songs for the first time. Even the singles Harper Lee and John Wayne were not sing alongs in the way that say Little Talks is from Of Monsters and Men. Yes, the chord sequences are simple, but it feels as if Little Green Cars has greater musical ambition. Already the range of their set feels almost symphonic, the lyrics are heartfelt and the vocals from co lead Faye O'Rourke are powerfully atmospheric. As one of the two encores, we heard My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me, beautifully constructed with poignant, dark words. I doubt I'll have the opportunity to experience them at such close quarters again, but I already have plans to go to two festival of their festival appearances, and you can be certain I'll not be missing their future shows here.



Monday, February 25, 2013

Of Monsters and Men, Manchester Academy 1, 24th Feb 2013 9/10


Of Monsters and Men played one of my favourite sets of Reading Festival last year, so my excitement at seeing them on home ground was considerable. I didn't even care that patience was stretched by the long wait for a  lacklustre support band, and with only one album released, that they played for little more than an hour. Whilst I was hoping for some new material, this wasn't to be. Yet, this was such an overwhelmingly joyful occasion, one that still has me on a high 24 hours later.


Their musical material isn't particularly original: as befits Iceland's geographical location, it could be described as mid way between Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The instrumentation owes something to Arcade Fire: trumpet plays a prominent role, as does accordion, and of course acoustic guitar. The other common ground with the Canadian band is the energy level: even in the quieter songs the audience's attention was held totally, despite the large venue I'd found noisy for The Lumineers a few days' earlier.


There was little between song banter, and few gimmicks: just foot stomping melodies, delivered with gusto and genuine pleasure. Their stagecraft and delivery is full of character, and the charismatic vocals of Nanna Bryndís were compelling. I was stood in full view of drummer Arnar Rósenkranz, who attacked with relentless energy. These are performers who give all to the audience, enjoying themselves so tangibly that their love for music and fun is infectious. The subject matter- lakes and mythology- gives it a distinctive Icelandic flavour, whilst the closing Yellow Light had a moving, visionary quality.


Their hit, Little Talks, predictably worked the audience into a frenzy, yet the album My Head is An Animal is devoid of fillers. In truth, the formula of a gradual build up from solo acoustic guitars and vocals to the full band can become a little predicable, but it's churlish to complain when it's such a party. It's the polar opposite of classical music (which I still love), whose appeal is in the intellectual complexity of structural development: this is of the moment, a visceral experience with a direct connection to the serotonin receptors in the brain. For this reason, I'll be reluctant to miss any of their future shows here, and I'm already excited to be seeing them at Coachella in April.




Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Lumineers, Manchester Academy 1, 19th Feb 2013 8/10


The Lumineers' album was one of my favourites of 2012, and having only seen them previously supporting The Civil Wars, this gig was one of my most eagerly awaited of the year. I queued early for a place on the front rail, and even a double upgrade to a larger venue did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm. I’d read amazing reviews of the support band Langhorne Slim & The Law in Glasgow and Manchester, so when tthe vocals were barely audible in the start, my heart sank. After a couple of songs the sound improved, but by this time much of the audience had been lost, and the background chatter remained audible throughout their set . Given the energy on stage, this lack of attention was baffling, and the full effect of Langhorne's poignant Song for Sid about his late grandfather sung from the edge of the stage, was lost. Attention was regained when three members of The Lumineers joined them, a gesture which was reciprocated at the end of the evening when both bands jammed together. Langhorne, from Pennsylvania, has a distinctive voice and I’ll seek out  his shows in future, hopefully in more sympathetic circumstances.


In 2010, The Lumineers were playing open mike nights in a bar in Denver. Even a year ago, they were relatively unknown in the UK, yet tonight they had easily sold out the 2300 capacity Academy One after gaining 2 Grammy nominations. Much of this success can be attributed to the hit Ho Hey, and the band exploited its familiarity by moving into the crowd to play acoustically, leading a sing along. The request not to use cameras for this song were ignored, but it was still a thrilling moment.  Ho Hey was repeated later on stage with full instrumentation, to much delight, a testament to the simple power of melody. Yet there was still some background noise to contend with in The Lumineers' quieter numbers, reminding me of an less than ideal Mumford and Sons gig I attended in 2011. It's a reflection that the band has broken through into the mainstream, beyond those regularly attending shows, lured by their knowledge of (perhaps only) Ho Hey.


The addition of covers to the set (notably Dylan's Boots of Spanish Leather and a blues number called I Ain't Nobody's Problem But My Own) highlighted a paucity of original material of the level of invention of songs such as Big Parade, Submarines or Morning Song. A new, darker number appropriately called Manchester suggested a possible broadening of direction, yet didn’t wholly convince. The most promising avenue is surely to further exploit cellist Neyla Pekarek’s soulful voice: the bluesy Falling, in which she took centre stage with Wesley Schultz, was captivating. The sound was better than for the support act, despite the odd balance problem.


With the move to larger venues, The Lumineers have stretched their songs to make for more a more dramatic impact, and their stage moves are also (necessarily) exaggerated. I wish however that they hadn’t been positioned so far away from each other on the wide stage: this felt unnatural, a world away from front porch improvisation. Schultz was adept in working the crowd, and the level of joy and fun as he led sing along after sing along was immense. Of course Mumford and Sons blazed a trail, but the Lumineers’ ability to make acoustic music relevant again is heartening. It would have been impossible not to come away from the experience feeling uplifted.


Yet, I’m left with a reservation about the music. The night before, I listened to Thom Yorke's Amok, from his side project Atoms for Peace, for the first time . The electronic style makes it inappropriate to compare it with The Lumineers; yet the way in which it engaged me creativity (in a similar way to great works of classical music) makes me realise there's a danger of excessive expectations torwards The Lumineers. Their execution, stagecraft, and chemistry can’t be questioned, but the simplicity of the music could end up being a limitation rather than a strength, with no pretence of originality. There’s nothing wrong in living in the moment, but composers like Thom Yorke or Trent Reznor use the trust they’ve built up in their fans to lead them to new, challenging places. The open question is whether The Lumineers will take risks with their second album, or sell out to commercial imperatives as did Mumford with the over driven, stale Babel album. In the mean time though, their debut will continue to bring much happiness to the world.




Langhorne Slim




Monday, February 18, 2013

Calexico, Ritz Manchester, 17th February 2013 7.5/10


Calexico above all reminded me of the transportational power of live music, and its close relationship to place. Based in Tucson, Arizona and named after the Californian border town, they brought a the atmosphere of Latin America to Manchester. Joey Burns enthused the audience with his gestures and energy, whilst multi-instrumentalist Martin Wenk surprised me by rocking out to guitar. My recent musical plans were disrupted by illness, of both myself and my car, and after the disappointment if several missed shows, it was a revelation to once again be swept way onto a different plain, away from the mundane concerns of the everyday life.


The seven players' instrumentation had two trumpets to the fore, a reminder of Beirut, and also included an upright bass, vibraphone, glockenspiel, keyboards and accordion, alongside the customary electric guitars and drums. They have previously supported Arcade Fire, and have rich textures and expanded line-up in common. However, the energy level is lower: their vibe is relatively laid back, more relaxing than energetic. For once, the visual element was relatively important, and watching the technique of these true musicians humanised the experience. Paradoxically whilst it was collaborative effort on stage, it felt like music to nourish the inner self, rather than to celebrate extrovertly.


Yet, Joey Burns ensured that the room was involved: a turning point was when he produced an improvised performance based on an audience member shouting 'more guitars', joined by his ensemble. The set list was generous, as can be seen below, and ranged widely across their extensive back catalogue (the recent Algiers is their seventh album). Calexico were surprisingly charismatic performers on stage and are a refreshingly wide blend of cultural influences. If they didn't quite inspire ecstasy in me, they did lead to a state of deep feeling of well being with the world. That in itself is demonstration of the power of live music to improve quality of life.


Set List
  • Epic
  • Across the Wire
  • Splitter
  • Roka
  • Dead Moon
  • Para
  • Minas de Cobre
  • Inspiracion
  • Man Make Lake
  • Improvisation 'House of Guitars'
  • Fortune Tellers
  • Not even Stevie Nicks- Quattro
  • Two Silver Trees
  • Dub Latina
  • Crystal Frontier
  • Alone Again or
  • Puerto
  • Sunken Walz
  • Corona
  • Guero Canelo
  • The Vanishing Mind