Though she isn’t physically there, Frankie Rose leaves her mark when Brooklyn band Beverly plays live. The ex-Vivian Girls and ex-Dum Dum Girls drummer along with singer and guitarist Drew Citron put out their debut record Careers in July as Beverly, a rock outfit that harkens back to nineties garage rock and girl group grunge. And despite Rose’s absence, their set at Rough Trade on August 15th was kickass and tight.
Citron makes a killer front woman, even though she’s all business on stage. She hides behind her messy platinum locks, but you can still see how gorgeous she really is, even with her tomboy style. Not to mention, it’s clear that she loves playing guitar, and seems hyper-focused on doing just that through every song. The set was populated with tunes off Careers, most of which balance on the fence between chilled out surf pop and gritty punk rock. No matter what, though, Citron shredded hard, creating an awesome juxtaposition with her soft, feminine vocals. Her voice is so pretty and delicate; you almost wished her microphone were a bit louder, as the hard-hitting percussion sometimes drowned her out.
The crowd was full of youngsters with Joan Jett hairdos and Doc Marten combat boots, literally transporting you to the era from which Beverly’s songs sound like they come. There’s a hint of the Cranberries in there, with melancholy undertones mixed with driving pop melodies. And Citron, especially in her harmonies, often sounds a bit like Shirley Manson of Garbage. The contrast of these gauzy, hazy harmonies and the tight and loud instrumentals from the two electric guitars, keys, bass and drums is so well done. It’s breathless, angelic singing amidst full throttle thrashing, and it’s also a blast.
Between the throaty and dreamy “Yale’s Life” and the sugary, addictive pop sound of “Honey Do”, there’s a constant slow burn sense of urgency to Beverly’s songs. There’s this authenticity that makes it feel as though you’re listening to your friends’ band rock out in a basement, and it comes across through the subdued, carefree chillness mixed with a pop sensibility that leaves you wanting to hear them play for hours on end.
Beverly also thrashed through songs like “All the Things”, “You Can’t Get it Right”, “Ambular” and “Out on a Ride”, before launching into the most concise two-song encore that included lush rock lullaby “Hong Kong Hotel”. Even though they wear their influences on their sleeve, Beverly is a band to watch; their Brooklyn origins are apparent, but they also incorporate a SoCal effortlessness that infuses another dimension of cool.
