The Besnard Lakes – Manchester Ruby Lounge – August 16th 2010
Apologising on behalf of the entire delayed running order when taking to the stage at almost 11, The Besnard Lakes promise outright to make up for it to the small audience.
Preceded first by local lads King Tree & The Roots , who bellow their way through a varied set of bluesy rock, noisy psychobilly stompers and, curiously, one Editors -sized unit-shifter, and then by fellow Canadians Final Flash , who, with double-headed guitar and all, cut an energetic figure somewhere between the rhythmic assault of Crystal Antlers and some artschool-punk collective, the husband-wife Besnard Lakes team duly bring the psyche, immediately making good their promise with the opening one-two whammy of “Like The Ocean” and with the bog-eyed majesty of “Devastation” – a very welcome highlight from previous album …Are The Dark Horse.
With a catalogue built on repetition, drone influences and epic rock, tonight was always going to be big, but live The Besnard Lakes come alive. Under a serviceable umbrella of alt-Americana, Jace Lasek ‘s drifting falsetto and manic hair-do ponder their way through a patient but incendiary set drawing largely from this year’s excellent …Are The Roaring Night.
It all goes a little reverential mid-set for the gentler “Chicago Train”, which later neatly allows for the might of “Light Up The Night” to truly show itself in all its Black Mountain -like glory. More than worth the wait, The Besnard Lakes’ promise to compensate was never really in doubt.
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The Besnard Lakes – Album Review
