School of Seven Bells

Troubadour - May 29, 2009

Live Review by Joe Cortez

Now this is more like it. School of Seven Bells has been one of the more buzzed about bands to emerge from the current crop of New York bands since its debut record, Alpinisms, was released last year to great acclaim. Since then, and perhaps well before, the band has been on a tear, touring throughout the country in support of the album. Tickets to shows have become a hot commodity, but with such hype comes a great deal of skepticism for the uninitiated (such as myself). So it was with a degree of guarded anticipation that I took to the Troubadour one Friday evening just to see what all the fuss was about.

The first thing I noticed about the band's stage presence was its depth of imagination. A screen was draped behind the band, projected on it was an astonishing array of images - some abstract, others more direct in their representation of the particular song it played over. The conjuring of the graphics was a mesmerizing display that at times came close to dwarfing the trio but always provided a compelling view. Tasteful lighting and that ever-present theatrical fog rounded out the stage show for a most effective and atmospheric presentation.

Of course, spectacle is noting without substance. With School of Seven Bells, that substance came in the form of a truly impressive set covering nearly all of the tracks off Alpinisms. When heard live, the band's sound feels much more stripped down and raw than on record but perhaps that's to be expected. Some cuts that were merely dreamy on disc took on a more aggressive consistency while retaining the power of the studio tracks. However, such aggressiveness became almost tiring after a certain point and left me wondering if a more intimate and less abrasive performance might serve these songs and the band better.

The key and most accessible song from the debut, "Half Asleep," was a highlight of the performance, serving as a strong reminder that this is a band with a great deal of potential. As the set drew to a close there was little doubt in my mind that Seven Bells is a force to be reckoned with. The band's set may not have been perfect, but it easily won me over with its ambition and creativity - and that goes a long way in my book.