Before I say anything else, there is one arena in which these people excel all other bands: they know when to end a song. I don't know with what preternatural sense the chief songwriters are endowed, but it was like every! single! time! they hit the mark DEAD ON. The song would end - and you would be like, "wow! That's perfect. Not a moment too short, not a moment too long." As their set went on, it became uncanny. I started to really marvel at it. Song after song: the absolute perfect length. It got to the point where I was saying, "holy shit! How do they even do it?" I mean, I'd never considered this as a possible criteria by which to rate a band. Finally, to save my mind, right close to the end they played a song that I wished would keep going on and on - but they ended it after two verses and refrains.
That one misstep, to keep their gift within mortal bounds.
Enough on that.
So these guys are Irish. You can tell by the charmingly roguish brogue sported by banter-boy up front during the between-song intervals. Must we all fall in love with you, dude? Is that the idea?
Ah, it worked on me. He pulled it off, I have to give him props. That charming rogue!
Anyway, I have to say: going into the show, I knew next to nothing about Silversun Pickups. I was psyched to see OKGO, had high expectations for them. These blokes, on the other hand...I was pretty sure they weren't my cup of tea. Just based on what I'd heard from them. But I came in with an open mind, wiped away my preconceptions, and said: "I will give them every chance to come in here and kick my ass."
And did they? Damn. I won't say they're a great band. We'll see about that. But they are a great live band.
If I had to disparage them with comparisons (and why not?) I'd say that they were in the same vague league as Coldplay, but with less relentless midtempo all the time, fewer overt U2 moves, simpler melodies, and perhaps a less expressive vocalist. Which sounds like they suck. Not so - they pull it all off suave! They aim for the epic, and they make it comfortable (to say nothing of comfortably).
It's hard to explain how they do what they do and make it work well enough to make you wonder how they do what they do and make it work that well. The songs they have, the singer's gift for melody may come across as a bit on the simple side. But heck, whose doesn't? I'm sure mine does. Most of their melodies are basic, but it doesn't matter when the songs meld so well with the rock-solid underneath. Here are lush harmonies, guitars by turns driving and shimmering, and a powerful if unadventurous rhythm section. Perfect - who needs more? Prog rock this really ain't - though they do add a couple nice outré flourishes. What it is, is song-based straightforward rock and roll. Snow Patrol are an efficient and sincere song delivery system: everything you need to put a song into an audience with passion, wit, soul, and concision.
And then: as the show went on, each melody just seemed to cut deeper. And the singer's voice seemed to grow in richness and beauty and emotion, song after song, until by the end of the concert his voice was like your own brother pleading for you to spare his life. Who could say no to that? You got swept in. When towards the end of the show, he stood at the mic stand, singing "Light up, light up / as if you had a choice / even if you cannot hear my voice / I'll be right beside you, dear"...it was a done deal. He had us in the palm of his hand, and it was clammy.
That was the song that I wished would go on. I may be a sap, but it got me. Right here.
Their band name still sucks.
That one misstep, to keep their gift within mortal bounds.
Enough on that.
So these guys are Irish. You can tell by the charmingly roguish brogue sported by banter-boy up front during the between-song intervals. Must we all fall in love with you, dude? Is that the idea?
Ah, it worked on me. He pulled it off, I have to give him props. That charming rogue!
Anyway, I have to say: going into the show, I knew next to nothing about Silversun Pickups. I was psyched to see OKGO, had high expectations for them. These blokes, on the other hand...I was pretty sure they weren't my cup of tea. Just based on what I'd heard from them. But I came in with an open mind, wiped away my preconceptions, and said: "I will give them every chance to come in here and kick my ass."
And did they? Damn. I won't say they're a great band. We'll see about that. But they are a great live band.
If I had to disparage them with comparisons (and why not?) I'd say that they were in the same vague league as Coldplay, but with less relentless midtempo all the time, fewer overt U2 moves, simpler melodies, and perhaps a less expressive vocalist. Which sounds like they suck. Not so - they pull it all off suave! They aim for the epic, and they make it comfortable (to say nothing of comfortably).
It's hard to explain how they do what they do and make it work well enough to make you wonder how they do what they do and make it work that well. The songs they have, the singer's gift for melody may come across as a bit on the simple side. But heck, whose doesn't? I'm sure mine does. Most of their melodies are basic, but it doesn't matter when the songs meld so well with the rock-solid underneath. Here are lush harmonies, guitars by turns driving and shimmering, and a powerful if unadventurous rhythm section. Perfect - who needs more? Prog rock this really ain't - though they do add a couple nice outré flourishes. What it is, is song-based straightforward rock and roll. Snow Patrol are an efficient and sincere song delivery system: everything you need to put a song into an audience with passion, wit, soul, and concision.
And then: as the show went on, each melody just seemed to cut deeper. And the singer's voice seemed to grow in richness and beauty and emotion, song after song, until by the end of the concert his voice was like your own brother pleading for you to spare his life. Who could say no to that? You got swept in. When towards the end of the show, he stood at the mic stand, singing "Light up, light up / as if you had a choice / even if you cannot hear my voice / I'll be right beside you, dear"...it was a done deal. He had us in the palm of his hand, and it was clammy.
That was the song that I wished would go on. I may be a sap, but it got me. Right here.
Their band name still sucks.
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