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Review Fri Apr 08 2011
Review: The Raveonettes, Tamaryn @ Lincoln Hall, 4/6
Tamryn (photo by Rory O'Connor)
Based on recent hype, it wouldn't've been surprising to see a full house (instead of a stream of late arrivers) for Tamaryn on Wednesday at Lincoln Hall. Her debut album The Waves has been fawned over for its ethereal shoegaze sound, something like a very laid-back Jesus & Mary Chain. However, it never veers far from that airy comfort zone of distortion. And that's why, despite Tamaryn's lovely soothing voice, her show simply isn't very exciting. The Waves is fantastic as white noise; not so much as a performance.
(photo by Rory O'Connor)
Projections of oceans and deserts fit the music perfectly. Songs vary slightly in tempo, but almost never in aesthetic. Tamaryn spent the first half of her 40-minute set obstructing her face and singing through her hair. She never said a word to the audience. That behavior is understandable as mystique, but there has to be a good reason for it. (Although, I suppose everyone has to start somewhere.) Her 3-piece band sounded fine while they rolled through the majority (if not all) of The Waves. Yes, there were some great moments like "Mild Confusion" and the upbeat "Love Fade", but too few.
The Ravonettes' Sune Rose Wagner (photo by Rory O'Connor)
The Raveonettes, on the other hand, have been in the business long enough to know how to put on a show. In a nearly 10-year career, they've produced 5 studio albums, a handful of EPs and are seemingly always on tour. Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo had assistance from two instrumentalists who switched between percussion, guitar and bass, but they were deservedly the focus of the evening. They drew from deep in their catalogue and played about half of their new album, Raven in the Grave.
The Ravonettes (photo by Rory O'Connor)
They started out with Raven's lead track, "Recharge & Revolt", which isn't too far from their typical noisy pop, but with a nice little synth groove bonus. A stretch of bona fide favorites "Dead Sound", "Veronica Fever" and an especially psychedelic "Love in a Trashcan" soon followed and by the end of that trifecta the entire room was all in their corner. Sune and Sharin bantered a little, were very gracious, but above all were simply professional in every aspect. Their set list construction (a completely underrated talent) and musicianship were excellent. Their light display worked wonders, especially when the guitars got really fuzzy and the strobes took over. Old favorite "Attack of the Ghost Riders" came near the end of the set, but they ended with the appropriate "My Time's Up" that built from a ballad into an epic. A two-song encore wrapped up the 65-minute set to nothing but delightful cheers from a rapturous audience.
The Ravonettes (photo by Rory O'Connor)
