Review of Camera Obscura with Essex Green at Sala Rossa
by Jonathan StewartMonday Jan, 29/07 Sala Rossa
We got to Sala a little after 10 and we were greeted to a full house. It was packed shoulder to shoulder (to shoulder to shoulder to shoulder…..). We politely elbowed our way to the front caught the last three songs by Brooklyn’s Essex Green. They sounded like good stuff. Folky/Rocky with nice harmonies and a good texture to their sound.
The headliners; Glasgow’s Camera Obscura put on a fine show. Warmly received by the crowd-the band was tight nit with a comfortable and inviting stage presence. They are twee to the max and I wonder how anyone can have that many broken hearts but those are the quibbles.
They have good lyrics for their cardiac ouchies and a lovely melodic poparific sound with subtle touches of Glasgow Soul and 1960’s radio R&B. Organ, two guitars, a trumpet player/multi instrumentalist, bass, with some vocal tradeoffs and harmonies but most of the singing duties taken up by Tracyanne Campbell in a breathy plaintive voice.
I am lost to the band who has me humming their songs (♫ I should be suspended from class I don’t know my elbow from my arse♫) while simultaneously thinking that’s a good turn of phrase. It turns on an angle with a most revealing visage. There-I reviewed them without a single Belle & Sebastian reference.
Photos by: Andrya Yurchuk
Filed under: Blog
Published on: February 2nd, 2007
Terms Used: andrya yurchuk, blue skies turn black, camera obscura, essex green, glasgow, review, sala, sala rossa, shows, tracyanne campbell, twee
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A lovely review John. Is Tracyanne’s last name really Campbell? I feel like my leg is being pulled.
I had a great time with you at the show. I love their gentle catchiness. One thing:
I thought for a long time that I was a shallow showgoer who preferred to see bands play their songs as heard on their albums. New versions of songs and long freakouts unique to the stage were usually met with disdain.
But Camera Obscura pretty much played everything as recorded for the album and ended up presenting a somewhat cold stage presence. I felt like I could have listened to the cd at home and gotten the same effect. Having said that, when I listen to the cd at home I generally perform long freakouts unique to my bedroom and sing along with an otherwise untapped passion. So in this case, cold isn’t bad. Most of the crowd at Sala stood in respectful silence for the band’s set and saved the dancing for korova.
On a side note: I heard yesterday that the reason why they had a replacement percussionist/horn player was that their usual member was caught for shoplifting in the last city they played.
Here’s a review of their latest album from the Mirror:
http://www.montrealmirror.com/2006/060106/disc.html
Posted on February 2nd, 2007 at 1:11 pm [permalink]