The anticipation had finally consumed me. Along with dentists offices, waiting for a concert to begin is one of the most restless periods in my life, and last night at Radio Radio was one of those moments. I found myself passing the time by anxiously harpooning the floating lime in my Gimlet with my stirrer straw until the bitter fruit was totally unrecognizable; then I’d scamper up to the bar, nab another wedge, and frustratingly repeat the process.
Finally, much to my relief, Light Pollution mounted the stage at exactly 10:00, but considering that Radio Radio shows end at midnight, I was concerned I wouldn’t get my musical fix. However, what the evening lacked in quantity, it made up for in both creativity and mystery. With that being said, Light Pollution is one of those lo-fi bands obsessed with reverb (James Cicero, the band’s front man, asked the sound guy for more reverb throughout the entire set), distortion, and an excessive amount of feedback. Now, when mixed properly, these elements have the ability to produce a truly innovative sound; unfortunately, the band relied too heavily on these techniques, and the outcome was that of repetitive mediocrity. Furthermore, I couldn’t help but get the impression that the guys were more concerned with creating warped sounds and audible havoc, than they were with relaying comprehendible lyrics, memorable riffs, or lasting beats. The set wasn’t a total loss though, because there were several transient solos that felt like a kind of psychedelic wave, synthesizingly rich and emotionally driven.
And then Cults took the stage, and from the moment Madeline Follin (lead singer of the band) opened her mouth, until the last note rang out, I was utterly transfixed. Follin’s voice was a blend of bubbly satisfaction and pleasant commiseration that any vocalist would kill to have. What’s more is, the duo multiplied into a sextet, which only added to the mystery and intrigue surrounding the band. And sure, the group only played for a little over a half an hour, but what do you expect from a band that’s only “released” three songs as of yet (Click Here to hear them), and whose debut album isn’t set to hit record stores until December 23, 2012. With that being said, it seemed as though Cults were in a kind of holding period, where they nearly had enough material to put together an entire album, but at the same time wanted to finalize a few songs. Whatever the case may be, I hope we don’t have to wait another two years for this album, because from what I heard last night, its bound to be something special.