Nighttown, Rotterdam
02/12/04
It’s hard to know what to make of Cass McCombs after just one live performance. Very much an unassuming/unlikely rock star, dressed in a polite shirt and jumper with polite hair, when the groove kicks in he really enjoys rocking out on guitar – even if he spends most of the gig with his back to the audience. Same goes with the rest of the band, seemingly delighted to be there together, smiling at each other, and playing through those songs like they really mean it.
So when they strike their hypnotic groove, it’s tough not to be nodding your head and tapping a foot. The sound seems to swirl and warp your mind until you no longer realize there’s not really anything substantial happening either lyrically or melodically - at least as far as first impressions of songs go. With the voice drowning in reverb and the guitars clambering through the dirge, it felt at times like I’d fallen into a time zone and I was standing in a dark indie club in 1987. But it really wasn’t that terrible. Not fantastic either, but a high quotient of confusion seems a fair appraisal.
Steven McCarron
Photo: Jo Brooks
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