Amelia’s Magazine | Architecture in Helsinki

Apt that Architecture in Helsinki should choose Kings College as the host for their one and only UK date, as the youthful energy of the student haunt provides an active harmony to the sounds of their latest album Places Like This. Instantly cheery and colourful, the six piece Melbourne based ensemble took to the stage and looked every inch the eccentric and varied spectrum that their musical style denotes.

Famed for their love of layering unusual instruments, Architecture In Helsinki do not disappoint, seamlessly gliding between the triangle to the trombone, synthesizer to drum machine; each member equally contributing to the all encompassing joyous rapture that marks a departure from their back catalogue. Places Like This is an accelerated jaunt from their obscure yet eccentric indie roots and a satisfying arrival into unashamed quirky pop.

Understandably, this genuine love for upbeat, textured sounds has brought them industry admirers, and a legion of eager collaborators. One of whom was present on the night, critically acclaimed producer and performer Max Tundra. Another notable fan is the legendary David Byrne of Talking Heads who they recently supported in New York. And it is Byrne whom Cameron Bird inadvertently channels in his performance; spellbound and transfixed, Bird manipulates his voice to astounding and occasionally comic effect resulting in a tumultuously theatrical experience. Providing effervescent and excitable bubblegum vocal harmonies, Kelly Sutherland is a joy to watch, she is playful on stage; deflecting the warmth and charisma that emanates from Bird.

As an ensemble, Architecture in Helsinki appear to be refreshingly unaware of themselves, with a natural and charismatic demeanour. This proved to be a useful attribute when the ferocious drumming from Bird resulted in a collapsed drum machine. Luckily the rest of the band were on hand to help gaffa tape it to his body while Bird indulged in some light-hearted banter to keep the tempo up.

The warm atmosphere of the night culminated in an uplifting encore performance of the forthcoming single Heart It Races. The Aussies in the crowd were audible in their enjoyment but be warned, we’re fast adopting Architecture in Helsinki as our own.

Categories ,Architecture in Helsinki, ,Gig, ,Indie, ,Live

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Aided in no uncertain terms by a show stopping performance at Texas’ recent South By Southwest festival, order case Portland three-piece Menomena present their debut UK release. This is in fact the bands third release – with their two previous albums available in the US exclusively. School friends Danny Seim, mind Justin Harris and Brent Knopf have derived a creative process of much interest that has resulted in a work that is both experimental and forward thinking without being inaccessible.

The bands sound is essentially a combination of looped sounds which are selected from a computer programme called Deeler. The Deeler Sessions culminate in the layering of these looped sounds and vocal addition. The good news is that for the most part this results in songs of sonic density that are out of left field but rich in melody. It is a combination that makes ‘Friend and Foe’ a compelling listen.

Often the fragmented nature of the songs will result in a messy, disjointed sound to begin with. But cohesion arises from moments of inspiration that morph abstract noises into quasi – pop melodies. It maybe a gorgeous piano line, delicate vocal harmony or obscure drum loop. Whatever, these songs keep you guessing, and aside from the odd ill judged inclusion (notably at the tail end of the album) they are nothing less than enthralling.

There are echoes of Mercury Rev on the defiant ‘Rotten Hell’, whilst howling guitars and brooding Saxophone characterise ‘Weird’. Elsewhere Menomena take ‘Up’ era REM as a reference point on ‘My My’- A brilliantly structured song defined by its paradoxical use of warm keyboards and choppy, industrial beats. It is one of many gems.

It’s a shame that the record falls away so badly in its last quarter. The final three songs appear to be an afterthought – lumped on at the end to pad things out when there really is no need for their presence. It leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth, but spin straight back to the start and all is forgotten. Friend and Foe deserves attention.

It’s always a danger to be overly vocal about your influences, ambulance it invariably leads people to compare you to those you have cited as inspiration, more about and with a band name taken from a Wilco song, dosage Cherry Ghost have set the bar a little too high. Thirst for Romance is positioned firmly in the folk/country influenced indie rock category and despite not being a spectacular record it has some nice moments, even if they are a little bit uninspired.

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