This sold-out show at the Lexington was the Trapped Animal records launch party for the re-issue of Despite Yourself, Headswim's second album with support on the night from label mate Cormorant Tree Oh.
Cormorant Tree Oh are the solo project of Dublin Based artist Mary D Angles who according to her website makes music using instruments she doesn't know how to play. Live she was supplemented by laptop backing tracks adding effects, helping her to build layers, her set opened with The Cave that she picked at a Balalaika while singing in a rather winsome way that reminded me a bit of Woodpecker Walliams.
The Terror Of the Countryside is a great song title that had much of the horror big city kids find when confronted with being in the middle of nowhere. Hard Times was sparse and ethereal. Two Wee Flowers was as minimal as could be, with the odd repeating vocal effect. She then switched to banjo for The Sky Is Dead and picked at it while trying to find a chord or two to decorate this sparing tale with.
I was hoping she might go the full Rolf Harris when she switched to Stylophone but A Gentle Lullaby had none of the brash bonhomie or any painting lessons attached to it. Things got even sparser when she played what I guess was Follow on a crash cymbal played with some sort of cardboard tube and string instrument thing. She finished her set playing a very sparse barely there tune on her Pump Organ that lacked any of the gothic menace Nico always had while player her one.
After the break BlackCar who are Dan Glendining and Tom Kennedy came on and sat down, ready to evoke the darkness at the heart of Despite Yourself and opening with Devil In My Palm with Dan's face shielded from the audience by his hair, he emoted the dark feelings. Wishing I Was Naive kept the bleakness with carefully picked acoustic guitars noting the depth of despair he felt.
The fact Dan was almost jovial between songs seemed almost out of character, the dark swirls of Holy Ghost took over him once more, now he had moved his hair out of his face and we could see him.
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Years On Me kept to the same slow dark pace and place they were inhabiting; We looked at the AI generated backdrop going round in kaleidoscopic circles.
Dan introduced Tourniquet with a murmur, thankfully this was a fully impassioned take on one of the bands biggest hits, most of the crowd quietly sang along to it.
Dan then switched to an old electric guitar for Come On Home it didn't change the sound too much, it was still bleak and slow. You'll Be The End had that feeling of contemplation of slashing your wrists at its dark heart.
Troubled Mind re-worked the sentiments of the old folk song into a dark space before they played the happiest song of the set, a cover of the Black Sabbath classic War Pigs that had loads of feeling and Tom's guitar really got the riff going.
Dan switched back to his acoustic for St John that had some great slide guitar from Tom. Start Again Tomorrow at least pointed towards a little light at the end of the tunnel. Roadtrip had a good road rhythm to it like he was rolling down the A12 once more. Magnetic Fields had Dan emoting about how late he was again, deep dark feelings never far from the surface.
Rising Steps seemed to be more about global warming than the bleakest of heartbreaks. To close the set Dan played banjo on Inky Black River that evoked memories of peaty waters and one last on rushing depression.
Dan seemed almost surprised at how easily he got an encore, Dan came back alone to play 100% Proof on his electric guitar before telling us that was really it, before leaving to good applause at the end of the bleakest sounding shows I've seen in a long while.
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