Jeremy's Indie Music: Other Lives, Manchester Deaf Institute, UK, 17th August 2011 8.5/10

I had two main anxieties before this gig: would it live up to the lofty expectations raised by Tamer Animals; and would seeing this complex music live remove some of its mystery by revealing how it's created? In the end, my only disappointment was in was the shortness of the set: when the band left the stage before the encores, I thought there had been a mistake. This was illusionary: time seemed to elapse quickly because the experience was so magical (they actually played for an hour). It was almost like being a participant in their out of this world video of For 12 on another planet.

The opener (pictured above) was emerging local band Coves and Caves: this is the second time I've heard them, and it's great to see them growing in confidence, relaxing and visibly enjoying making music more. Two or three songs in, they'd really engaged the crowd, making a full bodied sound from an array of instruments (including clarinet), and showing the skill of their song writing. In a recent interview, they talk about their catchy hooks and pop style, but I thought they showed rock potential with some of the meatier material.

Of course, much of audience packing this small venue had come for the band from Oklahoma: Jesse Tabish joked that there was a larger turn out in Manchester than in their home town. The set was almost entirely comprised of the Tamer Animals album (released in Europe on August 29th), with the exception of the encores. There were a few sound problems (including feedback) in the opening number, and I feared momentarily that they might struggle to recreate the complicated sound world they evoked in the studio. Their sound and interpretation in fact ended up being remarkably close to the album, which is a considerable achievement given the demands made by the scoring.

It was immediately apparent that these were multi-talented musicians, switching between instruments mid song, and mastering half a symphony orchestra worth of hardware, including cello, violin, trumpet, vibraphone, timpani and harmonium. The richness of sound conjured up out of the air by a band of five people was amazing, having seen the number of personnel involved in an orchestral concert. Despite this, seeing them live made me realise they are less closely related to classical music than I'd previously thought: this is more primeval and deeply rooted. The aspect of the instrumentation which made most impact on me was the tribal drumming: it set down a powerful bass footprint on top of which the other textures were layered. Other Lives somehow sound as if they emanate from the landscape, evoking forces which have been around for millennia. It's an epic, panoramic view, from someone who knows the land intimately, and has a close spiritual relationship with it.

This is not simple acoustic folk music: technology is exploited liberally, evident in the synth keyboards and copious reverb. This gives a dreamy feel, where multiple parts blur into a expanse of rich sound, so you give up trying to analyse the harmony and submit to the introspective atmosphere. It's emotional stuff, coaxing long lost memories from your subconsciousness, and leaving you with faith that everything will work out in the end. It's so creatively inspiring, the transmission of love through music leaving you a little more enlightened and tolerant at the end.

I've been so immersed by the beauty of Tamer Animals that I'd missed the importance of Jesse Tabith's haunting voice. The encores gave a tantalising glimpse of the potential for a solo side project. First of all he gave a moving performance with keyboard of Black Tables from their first album, and then a remarkable cover of Leonard Cohen's The Partisan, performed in virtual darkness (as was much of the set), with the audience spellbound.

I'm sure Other Lives would appeal to fans of Fleet Foxes, or Bon Iver (with whom they are touring in America), but I'd also recommend them to lovers of Sigur Ros, Debussy or Glass. They inhabit a niche of orchestral indie music, prioritising sublime beauty of sound above all else.

Other Lives in concert isn't an energising experience in the way Portugal. The Man or Cut Copy is: the audience didn't dance, and the band were too occupied by their various acoustic and electronic instruments to engage the audience with visual gimmicks. Instead, it was a deeply spiritual and life enhancing experience. I of course urge you to see Other Lives on tour, but it's not too difficult to relive that experience at home, as it's more about the music than the show.

Disclaimer: All of my videos from this concert are extremely dimly lit, to the extent that they're really only of interest for the audio (which is clear). I nearly didn't upload them for this reason, so you've been warned!