Forest City Lovers and the D’Urbervilles at the Tranzac; Friday March 14, 2008.
This was my very first time at the Tranzac, very nice feel to it. For such a small building it could pack in a lot. This show was sold out, which was incredibly shocking because I was pretty sure that no one knew either of these bands, I was totally wrong. The D’Urbervilles are an attractive group, first off. The lead singer is skinny, with thick rimmed glasses and an American Apparel hoodie, enough said. As for their music, it’s catchy and is ridiculously easy to shake your hips to, or at very least bob your head. Their music sounds like every other band that has put out an album in the five years. Their lead singer sounds like Ian Curtis of Joy Division, so in more direct terms, perhaps the Killers or more closer to home, Tokyo Police Club. He even had the demeanour of Joy Division’s Curtis, with his uncomfortable dance moves on the stage. My friend even regarded him as “odd” which I thought she said “hot” initially, it was a cute conversation. Their band had a synthesizer, loads of guitarists, a bass and percussions. I was completely impressed that they had such a developed sound for their age, looking no older than 23. To date the D’Urbervilles have released two albums, the first has nice very low-key packaging, the second was the album they were pushing at this show. They have very easy on the ears material, however this stuff within the next year will become obsolete and no one will care for it. So hopefully their make their big break soon, before this Ian Curtis-esq. music because obsolete.This particular show was a record release party. I hate record release parties. No one knows the material, which obviously is the most exciting thing for a band to do. I can most definitely appreciate the virgin music however the excitement of hearing your favourite tune is completely lost.Forest City Lovers is fronted by indie queen Kat Burns. She’s an incredibly cute twenty-something artist. She makes all her own t-shirts and posters and makes really pretty music. That’s realistically how I’d describe her music, pretty and safe. It’s safe in a sense that it’s so bare that it’s barely glued together by her soft, shaky vocals. The album she was pushing is called ‘Haunting Moon Sinking’, it’s really nice. Compared to her first release, ‘The Sun and the Wind’, it’s significantly more upbeat and she has built up her band since then, slapping on two more to her string section and an additional guitarist, by the way of the D’Urbervilles. She occasionally also sported a xylophone, which had a great not annoying sound to it. She played no material from the old album, which shows what great faith she has in her new album. The crowd didn’t mind it, but her quiet music was really stomped on by the crowd at the back, usually to be expected.Her new album ‘Haunting Mood Sinking’ has a similar minimalist effort of her previous release, but one can tell that she knows what she’s doing on this album. Musically it’s bundles more sophisticated, lyrically, it hasn’t wooed me yet but I’m sure I need to give it another few listens. Her opener for the album is flawless, titled “Don’t Go”, which she sandwiched somewhere in the middle of her set. The chorus sings: “Don’t Go, Please Don’t Go/Don’t Go Please Don’t Go”, simple and sweet. The beginning is cued in by a simple violin pick melody, it’s crazy accessible, my Mom even liked it! This album has a bit of synth on it. I’m not huge on it at all. It’s minimal so it’s not so bad. My favourite thing about Forest City Lovers is Kat Burns crazy simple guitar work. It’s really simple, usually on electric, and consisting of only three or four notes, but she’s made that sound her own. It really works for her. It’s extremely prevalent on her tune “Waiting By the Fence”. Her simple guitar ditties are supported a great deal by solid baselines. Both the D’Urbervilles and Forest City Lovers shared the same bassist, he worked hard last night. I’m also a big fan of the extended string section, an addition violinist and a cellist. It brings a great sophistication to her music, which is quiet enough for a live show to properly showcase them. I love the surge of violins in music, it’s so classy. Kat Burns sports it a ton like Basia Bulat, it’s like they were really good friends and put out music that was super similar. Off the new album, the tune “Pirates (Can’t All Sail The Indian Ocean)” plays out like a mini-theatrical play. It has spirit in life with the innovative, but booming strings. It really puts you where the song takes you. Sounds like something off the Sweeny Todd soundtrack with a hint of Final Fantasy, not just because of the strings but the spontaneous sound of the music itself. Forest City Lovers makes really great music. Give it a good listen.Download: “Don’t Go”, “Castles!” (for the sexual innuendo! Clever, clever)Show: 7.5/10 Album (Forest City Lovers): 7/10
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