Evolution, okay. I think it's pretty standard that bands evolve over time, they change things up, they adapt, and if they don't (ie keep making the same album over and over... look out Strokes) they won't really last. We have all seen this happen, and sometimes it works out well (Radiohead) and sometimes it doesn't (Smashing Pumpkins).
But to see a band evolve over a matter of... just a few short months... to watch it happen so quickly and right before your eyes... well I think that's something pretty special. That was what happened to me at the Sons of Sound show on Saturday night. Due to a variety of bad circumstance, I had missed the band's previous two shows when they started playing with their new drummer. I remember seeing Dennis play solo at the Asobi Seksu party and also out at the Hook when he opened for Surefire earlier this year, mostly acoustic and solo. Then Scott joined the band, fleshed out the material, and I caught them twice at the Seventh Day residency @ Pianos back in... April? May? I picked up a copy of their EP and loved it... Dennis really has a voice like no other.
None of this could have prepared me for this show at Pianos, however. As soon as the first song was over, Audrey turned to me and asked me what I thought and honestly the only words that could cross my lips were "oh my god." Somehow Dennis's simple, quiet melodies has transformed themselves into full on powerhouse rock and roll. Even songs like "heavy hands" had been incredibly changed with the addition of drums and crashing guitars, and the result was this beautiful and overwhelming wall of sound. I don't even know if I can accurately describe it but it almost moved me to tears at certain points, especially songs like "December" and their closing song, which builds into this amazing crescendo.
Alright... despite my difficulty in expressing myself here, the bottom line is that this is a band NOT to be missed but one that you have to experience for yourself to really know what I'm talking about. I'll let you know when their next show is happening... and you should be there.
But to see a band evolve over a matter of... just a few short months... to watch it happen so quickly and right before your eyes... well I think that's something pretty special. That was what happened to me at the Sons of Sound show on Saturday night. Due to a variety of bad circumstance, I had missed the band's previous two shows when they started playing with their new drummer. I remember seeing Dennis play solo at the Asobi Seksu party and also out at the Hook when he opened for Surefire earlier this year, mostly acoustic and solo. Then Scott joined the band, fleshed out the material, and I caught them twice at the Seventh Day residency @ Pianos back in... April? May? I picked up a copy of their EP and loved it... Dennis really has a voice like no other.
None of this could have prepared me for this show at Pianos, however. As soon as the first song was over, Audrey turned to me and asked me what I thought and honestly the only words that could cross my lips were "oh my god." Somehow Dennis's simple, quiet melodies has transformed themselves into full on powerhouse rock and roll. Even songs like "heavy hands" had been incredibly changed with the addition of drums and crashing guitars, and the result was this beautiful and overwhelming wall of sound. I don't even know if I can accurately describe it but it almost moved me to tears at certain points, especially songs like "December" and their closing song, which builds into this amazing crescendo.
Alright... despite my difficulty in expressing myself here, the bottom line is that this is a band NOT to be missed but one that you have to experience for yourself to really know what I'm talking about. I'll let you know when their next show is happening... and you should be there.