Twin Shadow, Anna Calvi @ TheCorner, Melbourne (01/02/2012)

Tue 7th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

After their first shows on the Laneway tour in Brisbane, Twin Shadow and Anna Calvi stopped in on a Wednesday night at the Corner for a show of somewhat disparate musical smartness. Twin Shadow showed that they can take complex pop stylings and sleek record production and translate it into a rock show, while Anna Calvi went about convincing the crowd there is more to her than PJ Harvey coomparisons. If the night is at all representative of the Laneway festivities, the Saturday in Footscray ought to be a treat.

Without a local support to welcome in punters, Anna Calvi took to the stage early and although the venue was yet to fill to capacity, everyone looked enthralled from her first opening riffs. Appearing on stage with slicked back hair, the petite singer resembled something akin to Robert Palmer dancer or perhaps, Gary Numan’s seductive antithesis. Her small frame meant that at first her telecaster guitar looked almost overbearing for her to hold. But once she began with her first notes, a dirty 80s-esque riff unaccompanied by her fellow musicians, it was clear that though young, the Brit upstart is a highly confident note-smith with an intensity of real passion that is channeled through an adept and innovative take on rock.

The band proceeded through many of the songs on Anna Calvi’s first album, including her singles Blackout and Desire, transfixing the audience. Her guitar style moves from tight, measured playing to unhinged distortion, and though at times dirgey, she moves beautifully into enigmatic pieces. Contrasting with such playing are her controlled vocals; her voice is able to penetrate a variety of ranges in a personal yet sultry manner, affecting an intimate experience. This was in no small part helped by the minimalist yet tight approach of accompanying band members on stage.

With only a drummer and bellowed keyboardist for company the songs were able to use the space between instruments effortlessly, for which credit should also be given to mature work on the soundboard from the engineer.

For good measure the set was complemented with a couple of excellent covers. A dirty swamp version of Wolf Like Me utilized a slide guitar and evocative vocals soaring over destructive chords to create a unique take on TV on the Radio’s hit. The set was rounded out by the Edith Piaf song Jezebel, that likewise twisted a different time signature into the mix of raw guitar and powerful vocals for a memorable end to the set.

There was obviously a lot of excitement for Twin Shadow. Once they took the stage, they proceeded straight into a more upbeat take on their tight, restrained record production in order to get the crowd dancing early. As a reviewer and a frequenter of hundreds of gigs, I am often struck by how disappointing certain bands must find Mebourne punters given their lack of propensity to move at shows. However, the band seemed undeterred, and set on convincing the audience that Twin Shadow can be translated into a strong and distinctive stage performance. Once in the full swing of the set, songs like At My Heels and I Can’t Wait had people dancing up the front and cheering wildly between songs. Slow featured a downplayed intro that helped rein in the audience for some intimate choral work, before blasting into the song proper.

Unlike Anna Calvi, who benefited greatly from the sound and space at the Corner, Twin Shadow’s mix suffered through muddy bleeding of the instruments into each other. The keys dominated the balance of the songs, which were rarely given the space to breathe or the room for subtle interplay between instruments as suggested by the arrangements on the album. Nonetheless the exuberance created on stage and the heartfelt desire to get punters dancing translated into a fine performance. Numerous cat-calls and whistles in George Lewis Jr.’s direction (from both male and female members) only seemed to give the singer more reason for onstage buoyancy. The set finished with favourite Castles in the Snow, and after a quick run through another album track for the encore, the set was over.

Despite sound issues, Twin Shadow have demonstrated that they can re-interpret their excellent album Forget for the stage and present it so as to make sure the audience won’t be forgetting the experience soon. Those seeing the band at Laneway are in for a treat.