All I'd heard of Little Green Cars was a short EP, and yet I was incredibly excited, given the buzz around them in the blogosphere. They've recently toured with Jake Bugg and been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, whilst their debut album is being produced by Markus Dravs who's worked with Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons. I felt incredibly privileged to see them on their first UK tour, all six of them crammed onto the stage of an intimate venue. On the evidence of my gig of 2013 so far, they're surely destined for much larger things.
Like the very credible support band, Gypsies on the Autobahn, they're based in Dublin, and I'd expected them to be a variant on the nu folk of Mumford and Sons. However, the first two songs, performed acoustically, were more reminiscent of a mixed gender version of the Staves, but with four part rather than three part harmony. Audaciously, they started a capella, and the rapt concentration in the room was palpable, as they rendered everyone spellbound. Then they exploded into life with the addition of bass, drums and guitars, with unexpected energy.
Influences such as Bob Dylan and Band of Horses have been mentioned, but they draw on a wider tradition than folk, and at times the intensity reminded me of Warpaint. With time, their stagecraft will improve, and as they move to larger venues they'll need to engage the audience more consciously with gestures, as do Of Monsters and Men. They will also develop a larger body of music, so they can play for longer than an hour, and probably develop more between song conversation. Yet none of this mattered last night.
Little Green Cars has that ability to energise a space, and to transport you away from the present. It's in part due to the fact that they play so tightly, and listen to each other keenly. They're not afraid to play quietly, and have the confidence to exploit a wide dynamic range, more akin to an orchestral concert than a rock gig. One blogger remarked after seeing them that there's a gospel ambiance to the set. He must have been referring to their remarkable vocal harmonisation, but what they've done is akin to Haim. The product of our iTunes age, they've drawn on a vast body of western music instantly accessible, and created an original blend based on layers of sound. Much though I love the Lumineers, I feel Little Green Cars' music is more forward looking, and they're more willing to take risks.
I suspect most of the audience, like me were listening to the majority of these songs for the first time. Even the singles Harper Lee and John Wayne were not sing alongs in the way that say Little Talks is from Of Monsters and Men. Yes, the chord sequences are simple, but it feels as if Little Green Cars has greater musical ambition. Already the range of their set feels almost symphonic, the lyrics are heartfelt and the vocals from co lead Faye O'Rourke are powerfully atmospheric. As one of the two encores, we heard My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me, beautifully constructed with poignant, dark words. I doubt I'll have the opportunity to experience them at such close quarters again, but I already have plans to go to two festival of their festival appearances, and you can be certain I'll not be missing their future shows here.
