The New Pornographers, Electric Ballroom, 19/5/10

After a rather soulless performance by support band Here We Go Magic, it is up to headliners The New Pornographers to breathe some life back into the room. Luckily, with their witty crowd banter and jovial indie-pop, the audience is soon resuscitated.

One of the first things that strikes you about the band is that there are three people on vocal duties; the creative genius and driving force behind the band; A.C. Newman leading the way, along with Neko Case and Newman’s niece Kathryn Colder. This trio works well, with all three voices impeccably complimenting each other. Describing their sound as ‘power-pop’, the band are actually far more complex than that tag-line might suggest, with ‘Use It’ possessing a rock and roll heart, with briskly plucked guitar strings and an escalating drum roll. Meanwhile, shouted lyrics during ‘It’s Only Divine Right’ creates a punk moment and the band whistling in unison during ‘Crash Years’ simply makes for a rather bemusing sight, but all of these elements ultimately serve to demonstrate their versatility.

The drums prove to be hugely important to The New Pornographers’ overall sound, as rhythm-less verses seem noticeably more bland, and the cyclical heartbeat patterns provide a pulse for the rest of the group. During some songs, however, it feels as though Newman has maybe hit a bit of writer’s block as numerous “ooohs” and “lalalas” occasionally drone on and become somewhat tiresome in comparison to the otherwise vivid and meaningful lyrics showcased in such other tracks as ‘My Rights Versus Yours’.

Overall The New Pornographers’ sound is very clean; from the abrupt endings of the songs to the synchronised harmonies; the band know exactly what they want. Newman as master tailor has cut and sewn everything together sublimely and trimmed the edges to perfection, and the result is one very sharp and immaculately groomed performance.

This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk

Band of Skulls, Electric Ballroom, 14/5/10

A group featuring the less commonplace combination of both male and female lead vocals is bound to draw comparisons to bands which already possess such an atypical amalgamation. So it's unsurprising that after teaming this ingredient with raucous guitars and some flogging of drums, Band Of Skulls have received more than their share of correlations with the male-female combo of The White Stripes. Both critics and audience members alike have been caught saying as much, and the British trio singing onstage tonight with an American twang are doing little to try to dispel these comments.

Opening with an extended selection of thick guitar riffs prior to launching into 'Light Of The Morning' sees the band start as they mean to go on; lengthy instrumentals are proven over the course of the evening to be somewhat of a speciality. The strong guitar and drum fusion demonstrated from the very beginning certainly makes for an impressionable sound, as it reverberates with such intensity around the space that rib cages are shaken to their very core. Single 'Death By Diamonds' produces a more frenzied tempo, providing a refreshing change and really whipping the group of young'uns down the front into somewhat of an excitable stir. However, slower songs such as 'Fires' induce a noticeable amount of loud chatter from the crowd which dampens the atmosphere somewhat and makes the reintroduction of their weighty sounds in 'I Know What I Am' surprisingly welcome. 

If there's one thing that is evident as the night progresses, it's that the ferocious nature of their sound rather than the lyrics lead their music. Lyrics that are there are undeniably catchy and you find yourself chanting along with the chorus, but their repetitive tendency eventually appears lazy rather than captivating. The majority of their songs feature strong guitar riffs which are sporadically broken by fleeting pauses before launching into another set of hooks, and as a result there remains the omnipresent feeling of a certain Mr. White throughout the duration. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, yet we can't help but leave with the feeling that Band Of Skulls would be far better off determining their own style rather than trying to recreate someone else’s.


This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk