Review of O Emperor at The Academy, Dublin on April 15th 2011
Review by James Hendicott
Snaps by Alessio Michelini
It’s notoriously hard for bands from elsewhere in Ireland to break Dublin’s ‘scene’. While the seemingly magical musical enticements of Kildare offer endless charms, there’s no doubting that the rest of the country is somewhat under-represented up here in the capital. The achievements of O Emperor’s debut album ‘Hither Tither’, then, which begun 2011 with a Choice Music Prize nomination – and, we’ve heard through the grapevine, was one of the final three in deliberations on the day – are still the more impressive.
Tonight the Waterford five-piece have taken over one of the capital’s more established venues, The Academy, bringing along ‘ones to watch’ duo Sacred Animals and The Gorgeous Colours for the ride. Sacred Animals, sadly, are opening to a crowd of no more than a few dozen. The two-piece’s swooning, minimalist electronics are best summarized as ‘ambient’, with a slightly shoe-gaze dimension to it but plenty of almost-emotional peaks and troughs. They’re simultaneously stark, sparse and gloriously organic, ideal to drift away to.
The Gorgeous Colours are an entirely different proposition. Purveying their own style of old-school summer pop, the Dubliners have a growing reputation, in no small part due to the refinement of their style from generic soft rock to a far more distinct and evocative style over the past few years. They’re lyrically quirky and full of stunning vocal harmonies, not unlike a head on collision between Brian Wilson, a barbershop quartet and a honey-coated indie rock band. They’re lacking the one stand out song that might take the band into the city’s mainstream consciousness, but The Gorgeous Colours fusion of cider-supping sunshine tunes and the thought provoking tinges ensure smiles all round.
O Emperor are without doubt tonight’s stars, though. Just missing out on the Choice Music Prize will do nothing to hamper these rising stars, who have exceeded themselves tonight in bringing along a four-piece string section and three-piece brass section for the ride, and taking the time to propel their music into the territory of not only thoroughly professional, but diverse and imaginative, too. The stunningly poetic tale of ‘Po’ slid by without the extra musicians being engaged, but from the third track in – latest single Sedalia, the effort which the tour is aimed at launching – the orchestral dimensions kick in, filling The Academy with a deep, layered sound that the venue’s rarely lucky enough to absorb.
Tonight’s set list is essentially ‘Hither Tither’ in full, though re-ordered with ‘The Fat Lady Sings’ as a predictably false, pre-encore ending, with ‘Heisenberg’ forming a stark and memorable ‘hub’ track. A new effort entitled ‘We Were young’ suggests none of that debut album spark has worn off, playing – as the band often do – off Alan Comerford’s absolutely stunning slide guitar moments.
O Emperor’s largest headline show to date seems – judging by the crowd’s accents – to have attracted an absolutely massive show of support all the way from their native Waterford, and it has an air of a coming of age: not by no means their first stunning performance, but one of depth and sophistication that suggests the southerners have the potential to go on to Villagers-esque international acclaim, and have a similarly touching effect along the way. The likes of ‘Don Quixote’ and ‘Catch-22’ are more than accomplished, with the former packing significant punch in a live setting, with vocalist Paul Savage’s output taking on a momentarily raw edge. It’s daring and at times nothing less than sublime, giving the sense that tonight is a real ‘launch pad’ moment. You can’t ask much more from an up and coming act.
