Rural Alberta Advantage, Deaf Institute Manchester UK 23 May 2011 9/10

You may think that this trio, with no electric guitar in sight, would put on a worthy but slightly dull folk or country show; yet I had tremendous fun last night as the room danced, clapped and sung along in a memorable show. They really played their heart out and this was one of the highlights of the year so far. You really do have to see this band live (and will appreciate their albums far more afterwards): confounding expectations, they rock.

I have to declare an interest: I am very fond both of Alberta, Canada, and Amy Cole, who is the brains behind the band, providing harmony and texture on keyboard and beautiful backing vocals. She shows amazing energy in her dancing and movement on stage and is versatile, employing tambourine, xylophone and maracas, always creatively. Paul Banwatt, the drummer is totally committed, and in common with the others has infectious enthusiasm: the band is so happy, despite the introspective nature of some of their songs. They also have such a great vibe with each other, despite bringing very different qualities and sounds to the band.

Your reaction to lead singer Nils Edenloff may determine whether you can fall in love with this band: his vocals are nasal, astringent and some may say irritating, although I prefer to think of his sound as charismatic and heartfelt. It is particularly effective on songs such as Frank AB, about a rockslide in the eponymous town, and Edmonton, about a unlikely tornado there in 1987. These are emotional and all the more tragic for Nils' voice almost breaking up under the strain as he screams in the mic. Some commentators fear for its longevity, and I hope that it survives the pressure he’s putting on it. Amy’s gentle touch is a brilliant counter to this coarseness, and it was compelling to watch her become completely engaged in the music.

Nils grew up in rural Alberta, and whilst the band is now based in Toronto, they are rightly proud of their province, evident whilst singing in The Breakup and Coldest Days, both about the icy winters. Despite the melancholy tone of some songs, I came away incredibly uplifted, because of the unique mix of energy, sometimes almost tribal drumming pulsing through your body, and the authentic emotions, from the angry to the intimate and sentimental. Several songs have a theme of being separated from those you love (for example North Star and Under the Knife) with rich and deep emotions.  They were also appreciative of the audience and unfailingly good humoured: Nils teased Amy about The Rapture after she asked us to pray that they didn't get stuck in the volcanic ash cloud for the second time on their travels to the UK.

They played nearly all the material from their two albums, Departing and the début Hometowns in a 75 minute set. It’s difficult to single out highlights, but Two Lovers was particularly moving: “the hardest thing about this love is that you’re never coming back”, prompting Nils to say afterwards “let’s continue with the rock concert now”. Stamp and Muscle Relaxants are driven forward by Paul's insane drumming, and really got the crowd moving. We believed the final encore was the powerful Death in Lethbridge, but the actual ending was even more memorable. The band left the stage, stood in the centre of the crowd, and played Goodnight acoustically in the round, with no amplification, a moving moment (see photo below).

RAA are far bigger in their native Canada. I missed them at Coachella, thanks to the chaos at Will Call, but it was a privilege to see them in such an intimate venue. Needless to say I will not hesitate to relive this experience next time RAA come to the UK: please don’t leave it too long! RAA are very different to Portugal. The Man, but they did capture some of the simple delight of that unparalleled experience: live music can give the most amazing joy! There was no fancy lighting, no lavish backing band; just the power of music.

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