The one, two, three punch of Anomie Belle, Sea Wolf and The Album Leaf at Neumo's Saturday night was something to behold. Each group contributed to an evening of extravagant yet subtle soundscapes the audience was only too happy to indulge in.
I was pleased to see the place packed on a Saturday night. I arrived as everyone seemed to be enjoying drinks, striking up casual conversation and eagerly anticipating the start of the show. Neumo's main floor was more than two-thirds full, and the upstairs bar was near capacity by the time Anomie Belle (aka Toby Campbell) took the stage to deliver a set that was thought provoking, intimate, and beautiful. Playing this show with a string trio (quartet when she joined in on violin) added a welcome additional layer to the already lush, complex, and textured compositions. Drummer Eric "Quick Hits" Otteson expertly balanced his drumming to complement but not overpower any of the other music or Anomie's vocals, a very tough feat to accomplish with music this lush and subtle. He made it look easy.
Backed by drums, strings and electronic accompaniment, Anomie provided the rest of the instrumentation and all vocals herself. Depending on the song, she effortlessly switched to keyboards, violin, or guitar all while projecting her smoky, sultry, soulful vocals throughout Neumo's.
The set opened with "Down," a soulful number off Anomie's debut release, Sleeping Patterns, released in 2008. "Amy Song" is a bit more electronic than most of her others, and was second in the set. This song was possibly influenced by her work in Amsterdam at an experimental electronic recording studio. During this song, Anomie was on keyboards.
She switched to violin for the most captivating performance of the night, the socially conscious and thought provoking "John Q Public." Already rich with Anomie's violin skills, adding the string trio elevated the performance to quite another level. The electronic beat bordered on hip-hop, and the vocals were straight out of a vintage jazz club. The myriad of different sounds and styles collided to create a truly original composition.
The next couple of songs were from Anomie Belle's forthcoming album, The Crush. First was "Privilege" and second was "Picture Perfect." "Picture Perfect" focused on Anomie's vocals as she got behind the guitar. The track provided another lush soundscape for the audience to process and take in. Anomie mentioned that on the album, "Picture Perfect" would be a duet with her friend Jon Auer, of Posies fame. Very cool! She is collaborating with MC Mr. Lif on the album as well.
The set ended with a couple more selections from Sleeping Patterns, including the down tempo "How Can I Be Sure?" and the dense, humid atmosphere of "Greenhouse." Another socially conscious song, "On TV," closed out the set to rave reviews from the crowd. The audience started a chant of “Encore!” that grew and grew but unfortunately could not be accommodated by Neumo's precise time schedule.
Fortunately, the crowd was treated to the encore performance they craved when Anomie Belle and the string section returned later to play strings with headliner, The Album Leaf!
When the second act, Sea Wolf, took the stage and broke into their first song, I could see why they are often compared to Bright Eyes. Sea Wolf is largely the project of singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church, whose influences span throughout Americana and to authors such as Steinbeck and London, whose novel gave Sea Wolf its name. Church, along with his live band, provided a nice bit of indie pop escapism that was at once unique and very accessible and catchy.
Two of the best Sea Wolf performances were of the semi-acoustic rocker “You’re A Wolf” and the accordion-inflected “Winter Windows.” They are definitely a group to keep an eye on as these songs sound along the same lines as The Shins and Fleet Foxes.
Headlining was Sub Pop artist The Album Leaf. This performance was in support of their new album, A Chorus of Storytellers, out on Groundhog Day. Like I said before, the Anomie Belle string quartet joined them onstage for their set, perfectly complementing their already atmospheric compositions. The floating vocals and soaring progressions stopped the audience in its tracks and captured its attention. Some of the instrumentation and vocals are reminiscent of the best of the Beta Band.
“There Is A Wind” featured vocals that were delivered to the audience riding a slight musical breeze with occasional gusts. The audience was hanging on every note right to the end. This show was a warm-up for The Album Leaf as they look to conquer the world, starting in Lisbon at the end of February all the way through Taipei in April before they return to the States. After this short run of US shows they'll be more than ready, best of luck to them.
I feel privileged to have attended these three amazing performances. I definitely recommend you catch any of these performers when you have the opportunity.
On a side note, the lighting at Neumo’s is very poor, sometimes not getting far above a dull glow. Neumo’s, please turn up the lights, just a little, thanks!
