Show Review

As the last nice day in New York City melted into a rainy fall eve, the Lower East Side club Sin-E got a dose of excitement as World Leader Pretend strolled into town on the homecoming leg of their current tour. The New Orleans five piece have been getting rave review’s for both their first major label album Punches and their live performances. On the face of things, taking their name from an REM tune is a risky maneuver for a band that dabbles in the same pop waters of their namesake. It instinctively implies a sound attached to early Michael Stipe and company, both the good and the bad of that group. A tricky proposition, but this band seems more then up for that challenge.

As they took the stage they opened with a slow piano driven number called “Fish” from their first release Fit for Faded, which sounded like a Coldplay cover, dragging it’s feet through a deep shag carpet. This was the weakest song of the night, but then, three songs in things began to percolate as the band picked up the tempo with “Horse of a Different” off of Punches. Arthur Mintz slinky drumming was sparse, but he always managed to hit the right note with a crippling body punch that kicked the music along like a tin can down Decatur. With a dedication to their hometown they revved up with an aggressive start-stop rocker, reminiscent of recent Pearl Jam. The bass playing of Alex Smith dominated the live mix on the slower ballads, drowning them in drone, but when the band floored it, Sin-E was cast aglow in music fueled by the sheer love of being played by it’s members.

The drumming of Mintz through out the night was remarkable he controlled songs with various styles and pulverized his cymbals with crashing fury. The occasional Ooh’s and Aah’s from lead singer Keith Ferguson over rode his lyrics with passion but the fuzz from Matt Martin’s axe never let the songs flow into cheese ball range. Ferguson mentioned that the band has had a good time playing their older songs as of late and this showed. All of the members obviously enjoy playing live together, giving their energy to the crowd and even conducting a group standing ovation to the audience after the last song, this energy level will help them amass legions of fans while they continue onward.

World Leader Pretend creates a sound that is hard to pin down, and I am sure that is just the way they like it. It’s as if Tyrannosaurs Rex (with longer arms) was hanging out in the old Motown studios, listening to past hits and his big brothers record collection. After taking a smoke break he roared and crafted some meaty, carnivore inspired pop music. These fellows have the future ahead of them, and a solid foundation under them, the next few years should prove fruitful for World Leader Pretend. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover and don’t compare this band to REM despite their name, just bask in the fire of their energy, their excitement for playing and the meaty power of their pop.