“I feel like this is an awkward date.”
Having matched on Spotify rather than Tinder, my awkward date in fact had a history beyond this particular sold-out night at London’s Islington Assembly Hall. Having witnessed her support slot for Father John Misty’s headline tour in 2017 at Hammersmith’s grandiose Eventim Apollo, we now bumped into each other 18 months down the road. Both barely illuminated by the dimly-lit lighting strewn throughout this intimate venue, anticipations inevitably ran high after the recent appraisal of her soft rock/baroque-pop 4th LP, Titanic Rising.
Heavily reminiscent of the endemic soft rock in the 60’s and 70’s, Natalie Mering & Co have lately garnered a certain appetite for the likes of Carly Simon, Judy Collins, and The Carpenters - teetering on the edge of rehashing old ideas for a new audience. Yet Mering immediately submerged us underwater in a sea of cascading synths soothingly giving way to the piano-ballad track from her latest LP, ‘A Lot’s Gonna Change’. Immersed in the collective sound of soft pianos, muted drums, lightly-tinged guitars, and sumptuous vocals, Mering seamlessly transitioned over to the equally popular single ‘Something to Believe’.
Sliding guitars and orgasmically atmospheric outros complimented the nostalgic sheen to many of her latest tracks, namely ‘Everyday’ and ‘Andromeda’, yet the absence of on-stage strings and extra synth instrumentation was undoubtedly felt. Whilst the mixture of such steady drum beats, light guitar riffs, and hand-clappings alluded to a certain folk-rock nostalgia, the sheer magnitude of these sonic effects weren’t quite replicated on the same level in their live format as on the lauded LP.
Yet when Mering grasped hold of her dearest acoustic guitar for such tracks as ‘Picture Me Better’ and ‘Wild Time’, the room seemed to imminently lift with this, albeit subtle, difference. The vibrancy of her acoustic guitar amalgamated perfectly into the ethereal synths and soothing ‘oohs’ mastered in the outro of the latter track, but sorely missed within the star track of ‘Movies’ - a seemingly beautiful ode to the Pink Floyd era of soft rock with a sumptuous incorporation of arpeggiated synths.
Another, perhaps more apt, ode to her fellow Californian compatriots, The Beach Boys, was delicately recited in the way of ‘God Only Knows’. Whilst this allowed a unique chance for the audience to collectively sing along to the given lyrics within her set, it also signified her shift toward her older discography in the latter end of the evening. Often at odds with the ongoings amongst her current generation, the beloved folk-pop track of ‘Generation Why’ showcased Mering’s soft vocal delivery alongside shimmering synth notes bristling in the backdrop. Finally, through the clatters of glass bottles collected at the nearby bars, Mering performed one of her oldest tracks, ‘Bad Magic’, retaining a resemblance of Sharon Van Etten’s former folkier facade, with a delectable solo performance - entrancingly bowing out on this Thursday night.
Personally though, my preference of Mering’s latest tracks from the Titanic Rising LP was undeterred throughout this impressively sold-out set at Islington’s Assembly Hall. For those rammed into the venue in a huff of desperation to witness one of the most highly-acclaimed LPs so far this year, Mering’s entourage offered an invariably simplified stage layout and lighting design to showcase their 5-piece act. Yet in comparison to her fellow contemporaries, namely Father John Misty and Julia Holter, I can’t help but feel that their expansive on-stage instrumentation, superior lighting, and otherworldly visual design went amiss to certain degrees this evening with Weyes Blood. In spite of these missed chances, Mering proved to be the complete package on stage - often joking with the audience, scrutinising the current generation, and ultimately flying out the airplane-folded setlist into the devoted crowd. If this transpired as an awkwardly discernible date, then I’d certainly message back for a follow-up one.
7.5/10
Weyes Blood's latest LP, Titanic Rising, is out now and can be found here.
All photos are courtesy of Dani Bolton, whose website can be found here.
תגובות