Phosphorescent, Ruby Lounge Manchester, 7th May 2013 9.5/10

Having seen Hiss Golden Messenger two days earlier, I had the opportunity soon after to see the creator of another of my other albums of the year, Phosphorescent. Whilst MC Taylor had to contend with less than ideal circumstances for his gig, Matthew Houck last night produced a near perfect set of staggering intensity. The Alabama born singer songwriter (based in Brooklyn) now fronts a six piece band, notable for having two keyboard players. Jo Schornikow was particularly notable for her idiomatic blues organ playing, and added vocals for the final encore Storms Never Last. David Torch on percussion played pair of tall bongo drums, and Chris Marine on drums’s energy was a delight to watch. The entire band played incredibly tightly, with weighty bass guitar, and the sound was well balanced.

Phosphorescent's musical style includes elements of folk rock and psychedelia, but the recent album Muchaco, which featured heavily in the set, has contemporary pop and electronica influences. This is most evident on the single Song for Zula, which was performed to much delight from the crowd, but in my view is not their most moving creation, marred by the uncharacteristically unsubtle drum machine. The 2007 album Pride was also represented, most notably in the solo encore Wolves, featuring looping vocals from Houck. However, I particularly appreciated the numbers from 2010’s Here’s To Taking It Easy. The band’s emotional power is most evident in the slower, more expansive songs. The mood is often melancholy, and when the band holds back to allow Houck to sing of love and despair, the tension in the crowd is palpable. There was little of danger of the mind wandering onto everyday matters: it was completely absorbing.

Houck barely talked between songs: I was grateful for this, since chatter would have broken the magical atmosphere. Judging by an interview with Pitchfork when he said: "I lost the place, lost the girl, and lost my mind," he was hardly reserved off stage on the tour for his last album. There’s no doubt Houck wears his heart on his sleeve: this was a highly emotional occasion, due in part to his soulful voice, which has been compared to The Band’s Richard Manuel. He often closed his eyes, and stood on the front rail in this small venue, I had a clear view of his expression, which conveyed him reliving painful memories, or regretting some past choices. This may sound like being immersed in melancholy, but in fact was cathartic; never depressing.

My enthusiasm for this gig is fuelled by the fact I absolutely adore this music, but most of all this experience reminded me of the joy of experiencing a group of skilled, experienced musicians collaborate on stage. Despite those slow tempi, this was a high energy event, the guitarists moving around the stage imposingly. The apotheosis for me was when the band jammed together, in expansive songs like The Quotidian Beasts or Los Angeles. Much though I love listening to their albums, Phosphorescent is definitely a band you need to see live. There is real depth here, a complexity rooted in dark undercurrents below apparent serenity, a vulnerability behind an extrovert rock and roll exterior.

Matthew Houck

Jeffrey Bailey

Jo Schornikow