The National & St. Vincent - Shepherds Bush Empire, London - 7/11/07
4/5
By: Chris O'Toole
Returning to these shores for the second time in support of their rapturously received album, Boxer, the National have seen their stock rise into the heavens while they have been away. The quiet, unassuming, out of this world calm of the record has captured the hearts of all who hear it; hooking listeners with its heady mix of quiet passion and intricate intimacy. Once involved it is virtually impossible to escape from the album's clutches, and it is a sure fire bet to top many critics end of the year leagues.
Boxer is more than a sum of its parts; it is more of an alchemist's trick, combining the standard fare of rock music - the usual instruments, clothes and postures - but adding a little more than average sincerity and charm to create something truly magical. As a result the Shepherds Bush Empire is packed to the ceiling this evening. On their last tour the group played to a captivated audience at the Astoria in central London, but the closeness of the Shepherds Bush venue is more in keeping with their unpretentious style. Half the crowd is seated and patiently was as support, St. Vincent, performs her half hour set.
While St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark - everybody's favourite artist, having previously played with the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens - is never going to break the mould, especially with Bjork and Bat For Lashes also on stages at present, her work is filled with an equal measure of poise and experimentation. Essentially she is a one woman performer with a band of mechanical band-mates. Her drum machine is her favourite toy, as Clark uses it to set the beat, before releasing alternately squalling and serene guitar into the mix. Atop she places her shy, retiring vocals, which are occasionally lost in the maelstrom. St. Vincent also uses two microphones - a la Isaac Brock or Mark Linkous - to convey the volatile changing of tempo and mood where her voice is unable to do so.
Running through the majority of her Marry Me album, and a wry cover of the Beatles' 'Dig a Pony', St Vincent sounds like an electronic river, eddying and flowing in whichever direction suits her best, at times fizzing with excitement, at others calm and placid, moving downstream in a tranquil lullaby. It's engaging, if not ultimately rewarding.
After St. Vincent's departure it takes what seems like eons - but is actually about forty minutes - for The National take to the stage. Playing as a six piece, with two guitars, bass, vocals, drums and violin/piano the group have a more imposing, immediate presence live. Their songs, while more formal and even direct, lose some of their shimmering enigmatic quality when presented to an audience of this size. Perhaps this is because they are best experienced alone?
The band open with 'Start a War', from Boxer, and the album composes the bulk of their set. The crowd seem to know every word and clamour toward the stage, showing a real dedication. This is followed by 'Mistaken for Strangers'. The lyrics to both songs provide an obtuse glimpse into the world of front man Matt Berninger; making the listener understand aspects of their life and relationships which had never been apparent before in one throwaway line.
On stage The National, however, are mere mortals. This is not to detract from their performance, but the atmospheric, heartfelt singularity of the recorded version of the band is absent in this setting. Not that the crowd seems to mind, with both 'Brainy' and 'Squalor Victoria' eliciting violent bursts of choreographed clapping.
This is followed by 'Able', from the group's previous album, Alligator, which proves to be one of the highlights of the evening. A little rawer, and a touch more powerful, the track is tinged with country rock, but is delivered with the necessary intensity to make it an anthem to those present. The group call it a love song, but it's more of a sad tale of loss and very little redemption, a literary, eloquent tale of loneliness. Not bad for some boys from Ohio.
Boxer track, 'Ada', is dedicated to one of the group's mothers, before offering another weary tale of rejection - leaving the crowd to wonder what she would have made of it. This is before the set is closed with 'Fake Empire', which is livelier than any other track performed this evening. Yet the group never really lose control, remaining focused and within the lines of their studio output. Only the violin and keyboard are allowed room to move and to a large degree these two instruments define the feeling and character of the performance. While the group are competent musicians, it is the vocal performance of Berninger and the free flowing strings that really place the band on a higher plain tonight.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment