Live music can be so transformational. The evening had started off cerebrally, with Oregon multi instrumentalist Marisa Anderson weaving a complex spell of intricate improvisations on solo guitar. She was so introvert on stage as to appear oblivious to the audience, remaining in her own world. Then Brooklyn's Exitmusic came on to perform a dark, creepy set, with waves of guitar noise and a charismatic vocalist. About half way through the set, magic started to happen. I found myself completely transfixed by Aleska Palladino's reverb soaked vocals. Her voice was a beautiful contrast to the complex electronic textures from her husband Devon Church and the rest of the band. This was that moment when I became consumed by the deep emotions within the music, to the exclusion of all else, almost as if I was floating in a different reality to the present.
This sense of immersion continued for the rest of the gig, and the afterglow still lives on. Exitmusic are releasing their debut album Passage in the new few days, and if you appreciate music with noise and the experimental beauty of Sigur Ros, it demands attention. Live, they are completely focused and whilst the music is sombre, the intensity can't help be draw you in. I'm eager to see them again, hopefully as headliners. Aleska's a successful actress, yet she let the music talk: chatter would have shattered the intense, otherworldly atmosphere. I wish artists and promoters were always as bold and confident in their choice of support artists.
This was New Jersey native Sharon Van Etten's second time in Manchester after a four year gap, and the intimate Deaf Institute was crammed with intelligent looking music lovers. She was joined by a three other musicians, her latest album Tramp marking a transition from an acoustic singer-songwriter to lead singer of a band. Indeed, all but one of the songs tonight were from Tramp, and yet I didn't miss the stripped down intimacy of the earlier material. Backing vocalist Heather Woods Broderick in particular added weight to Sharon's vocals. Tramp was produced by the National's Aaron Dessner and includes collaborations with such indie music luminaries as Zach Condon and Wye Oak's Ken Wasner. Her profile has also been raised by Bon Iver's cover of Love More. Sharon's music includes elements of the folk tradition, rock and Americana, but to my ears sounds of our time. It's difficult to single out a highlights of the all to brief hour long set, but the closing Magic Chords where she played the Omnichord particularly remains in my consciousness.
There was no wild dancing around stage, no elaborate gestures, attempts at crowd sing-alongs or waving of hands. The mood was introspective: this was music full of vulnerability. Some see this genre of confessional indie rock as overly serious and heavy, but I found it a far more satisfying experience than upbeat pop. Music has the ability to communicate abstract feelings and complex emotions far more eloquently than words, and Sharon's lyrics, sultry voice and creative instrumentation evoked deep feelings. It encompasses both harsh and gentle feelings, anger being a dark undercurrent which never quite explodes into the open. She did however talk charmingly between songs, revealing a warm personality, and a genuine appreciation of her fans.
It's telling that Sharonsaid in an interview: 'most of the songs never see the light of day, because I can’t get outside myself enough to say, “This song would help other people.”.' The rawness even of the songs she has released suggests she's suffered for her art, but as I've written before, the dark music can be cathartic, and I see similarities in Sharon Van Etten's and PJ Harvey's sound worlds. Both embrace the complexity of human emotions, and both see their music as a channel for something more profound than commercial success. I often write about the euphoric shared experience of live music, but these performers are more personal. It's a voyage which takes place in the solitude of the mind. In Ask she sings 'It hurts too much to laugh about it' and the frailty laid bare in her songs brings comfort in revealing the universality of the human experience.
Set List
- All I Can
- Warsaw
- Kevin’s
- Don’t Do It (from Epic)
- Give Out
- Ask
- Leonard
- Serpents
- I’m Wrong
- Joke Or a Lie
- Magic Chords
Note that you can see some videos of the gig on this excellent blog post from another audience member.
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