Perhaps it’s just the dreary quality of Camera Obscura’s music. The band is from Glasgow, Scotland after all, where it rains about as much as in Seattle. While many of the band’s songs are upbeat string-and-horn-laden affairs, there’s always an underlying sense of despair in singer Tracyanne Campbell’s lyrics.
Still, March’s My Maudlin Career
It’s a concise set that draws heavily on Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, as does most of the band’s catalogue. The densely produced cuts are undeniably catchy, regardless of the subject matter.
One might think the more upbeat songs – such as French Navy and Honey in the Sun – would muster a bit of enthusiasm from the band. But on this night, it didn’t seem so. Camera Obscura preferred to the let the music speak for itself.
While this is fine, it made for a boring concert.
Rarely throughout the set did Campbell offer a smile, rarely did the band members interact. Mostly, we got six people playing their instruments in a somewhat static manner. Only the rhythm section — hidden in the back behind Campbell, keyboardist Cary Lander and guitarist Kenny McKeeve – seemed to somewhat consistently exude charisma.
Still, there was nothing wrong with the music coming out of the speakers. It was impressive to hear the band sound so tight, with such a full sound without the aide of studio tricks.
Campbell’s angelic voice shines on nearly every song, nothing is lost in the club setting. On record, McKeeve’s guitar can get lost in the layers of sound. Live, you discover the fluidness to his playing, especially on fan favorite and show-stopper, French Navy.
But it was when only Campbell and McKeeve emerged to play the hypnotizing downer, Other Towns and Cities, for the band’s encore, that you really got a chance to appreciate Campbell’s voice and McKeeve’s playing. Isolated from the rest of the band they put on an impressive display, especially considering Campbell said it was the first time they’d played it live.
Opener Anni Rossi – a one-woman band in the spirit of Xavier Rudd and Andrew Bird — offered a more exciting display on her lonesome. Rossi’s smooth and seductive voice was the prefect compliment to her violin. All the while she was stomping her foot to keep a drum beat. It was an exhausting and exciting display – something Camera Obscura was sorely lacking.
The highlight of the night came right after Camera Obscura finished Other Towns and Cities, and one female fan yelled to the stage: “Hey Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken!” Right on cue, keyboardist Lander began pumping Lloyd I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken’s organ line, igniting cheers from the crowd.
It might have been the biggest ovation of the night – a sing-a-long song, the band’s most recognizable – and rightfully so, the members of Camera Obscura finally looked like they were having fun.
It was good to see them lighten up. You see: heartbreak can be joyful.
Camera Obscura
June 21, 2009
9:30 Club
Washington, D.C.Set: My Maudlin Career, Swan, Tears For Affairs, The Sweetest Thing, James, Teenager, Let’s Get Out of This Country, Honey in the Sun, Eighties Fan, Country Mile, French Navy > Come Back Margaret > If Looks Could Kill
Encore: Other Towns and Cities, Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, Razzle Dazzle Rose
2 Responses
Caught them in New York at couple of weeks back and couldn’t have agreed with you more. Their new album is a fantastic listen, but live they fall completely flat.
Saw them in MA last week and was happy that it was a seated theater. Again, enjoyable music but I would have been even more bored (and tired) if I was standing up.