CANT @ The Famous Spiegeltent,Sydney (14/01/12)

Mon 16th Jan, 2012 in Gig Reviews

For the first time in my career I can say this – we really are here all night!” Chris Taylor, Grizzly Bear bassist turned solo musician, quips, amused by the novelty of this early evening Sydney Festival show; the first of two his new side project CANT will play in the genteel surroundings of the Spiegeltent that night.

Later, he riffs humorously about his limited stage space, “Watch for the subtleties of my movement”. It is an idiosyncratic venue in a lot of ways – part ornate Bavarian circus tent, part old school classroom. The crowd, scattered across the wooden seats, is initially tentative, but by the end of this short set have been won over, not just through Taylor’s easy humour, but through his layered, complex music.

He kicks of proceedings with Too Late, Too Far , a perfect example of the palette Taylor works with in CANT: jumpy rhythms and ghostly effects, giving way to his angelic falsetto, flirting with both arty electronica and lush, 80s pop. She Found A Way Out is of a similar ilk; it’s dreamy and spacious, reminiscent of the mix of accessibility and dissonance St. Vincent employed to such brilliant effect on last year’s Strange Mercy, lulling the listener into a false sense of security with an immaculately polished facade only to plunge into something darker and noisier below the shiny surface.

At one point, Taylor peers out into the crowd, explaining he can’t see any faces, just “all purple light and smoke, like something out of Twin Peaks”. It seems a fitting backdrop to the warped loveliness of these songs – the vague menace of Dreams Come True and the arresting minimalism of Bericht, just voice and keys, barely-there bass and the faintest touches on the cymbal.

The real standout, however, comes with the deliciously slinky The Edge, which sounds like an impossibly cool lost classic from the New Romantic Era. There’s a sense of mystery to it and an irresistible late-night soul vibe. And like every song at this low- key but high quality show, it carries with it the promise that CANT could develop into something truly special.
.