Bodies of Water, Black Cat show on Sunday

I had almost forgotten. It was 6:30pm when I looked at my calendar. Bodies of Water at Black Cat backstage! After waking myself up and hauling butt down to 14th street, I got there in time to see the opening act, Port O'Brien. Perhaps it was the fact that it was Sunday, or I that my brain was still foggy from all that sleeping, but they didn't really do it for me. The lead singer was charming, but I wasn't really sure what sound they were going for. It was always teetering on the edge of sounding like boring generic california indie. If it wasn't for the banjo, there would have been no hope (which, by the way, you could never really hear).

Speaking of snooze-town USA... what was up with Bodies of Water? They opened up with "It Moves" and went right into two really upbeat songs from their old album, then back into their new stuff for the rest of the night, which to be honest, is really really boring. I hate to say it, but its true! One of the things that I loved about them was their energy and their crazy yelling. All I got was lazy keyboards and soft droaning voices. I did appreciate the new girl guitarist/violinist/singer, even if she just kind of stood there the whole time. Listen Bodies of Water, I am sure you were tired and it was Sunday, but that is exactly why you should have amped it up a bit. Maybe THEN you wouldn't have been left with 5 people at your show. I also left, which I felt a little guilty about, but I was falling asleep. (Don't worry, I still love them)

Bodies of Water

A band that has recently been playing in my house ON REPEAT for the last few months is the questionably glorious and extravagant Bodies of Water out of Los Angeles. Just last week they released their second album, A Certain Feeling on Secretly Canadian (label mates including Jens Lekman, Foreign Born and The War on Drugs). Their full and over-the-top sound falls somewhere between the Polyphonic Spree and the grade school chorus of your choice. Each song has its own life, beginning middle and end stages you can tell they put everything into. If you have heard them before and felt a little taken aback, listen to a few key songs, turn off the AC, roll the windows down in your car, and pretend you are driving through Antelope Canyon in your beat up pick up with only your dog, a jug of water, and your own emotional turmoil to keep you company. Life is good.

Recommended tracks:

Off of Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink
1. Our Friends Appear Like the Dawn
2. I Guess I'll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess
3. Here Comes My Hand

Off of A Certain Feeling
1. Water Here
2. Gold Tan Peach and Grey
3. If I Were a Bell



They are losing their drummer who is AMAZING, I am curious to see how that will change things for their next album.


HAPPY LISTENING