NAP EYES / LEA PORCELAIN / FRIGS | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 18 May
A visibly empty room, it must be said, greeted the first support act of the night. This didn’t seem to deter brash and angst-driven Toronto outfit Frigs, who brought a sense of vitality to an otherwise sterile atmosphere, veering into a visceral duality of raucous noiserock and drawling melancholia that was enough to inject a sense of life into the venue. The outfit occupied a tonally schizoid hinterland between muted contemplation and frenzy, adept at rapidly switching between twangy desert rock and eruptive expressions of rage without pause.
Signalling their arrival with compulsory dry iced dramatics and a convulsive, eerily-executed synth pulse, Berlin/London-based duo Lea Porcelain transformed the limitations of Ifor Bach’s downstairs floor space into something seemingly more ethereal in scope and nature. Merging dark propulsive beat-driven energy with an ominous quasi-industrial presence, the two-piece conjured an austere electronic dreamscape with slick precision, particularly in a vivid rendition of Out Is In, the title track from their forthcoming EP. The rhythmic chemistry and level of focus shared between Markus Nikolaus and Julien Bracht effectively served to reinforce a foreboding undercurrent throughout the near hour-long performance.
Nap Eyes’ brand of raggedy country-folk sharply shifted the ambience of the room, bringing a gentle, fuzzy warmth to proceedings. This was a laid-back, almost meditative, set with jangly guitar melodies and wistful lyrics seeing the Nova Scotian four-piece embark on a bucolic nostalgia trip, suggestive of Pavement and Yo La Tengo. Lead vocalist and songwriter Nigel Chapman provided affable interaction with the audience throughout, as did bassist Josh Salter in jokingly threatening to play Perry Como covers at one point.
If anything, the Canadian quartet’s relaxed and modest demeanour synchronised perfectly with the calmly introspective idyllic tone of their output, with Chapman comfortably rolling through the plodding summer tunes Click Clack and Stargazer. This was a band naturally at ease, entirely invested in the integrity of their material and able to deliver the goods within a live environment, which was a gift to those in attendance.
words CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, photo STEVE LOUIE