Any one who has seen The White Stripes or Death From Above 1979 live will know that it's more than possible for duos to make as much noise and carry themselves as well as a five piece. TWO GALLANTS arrive on these shores to promote their eponymous new album, and to convince us all that two is the new five.
Two Gallants have some great songs in their back catalogue; the sound is blues-fuelled country and it's very authentic. The pain and heartache in their songs sounds real, and when they hit the mark they can be very moving. 'Long Summers Day,' for example, tells a story and builds all the way until the end, with the vocals become more and more passionate as it reaches it's climax. 'Las Cruces Jail' meanders from fast-paced growling into bottom of the heart wailing effortlessly, and it's a song that grabs you by the balls and takes you into the deep south. And that is the joy of their sound – it evokes the imagery of the stories they're telling. Alcohol, decline and futility, sitting on porches under blazing summer sun's; you can feel it.
The drumming is first rate, with the added amusement of the drummer hitting his fringe with his drumstick every time he goes to hit the hi-hat. The guitar playing is also flawless, and like the aforementioned recent great duos, they more than account for the lack of numbers by filling the stage with a complete sound. Adam Stephens has an amazing voice, the rasp of a forty a day smoker, and the earnest intensity of any great blues singer. The sound seems steeped in the past, but this isn't to their detriment. It is done very, very well.
The problem is that in and amongst the gems, there are several songs that are quite anonymous. They fall into a mid-tempo, almost generic sound. It's hard to differentiate between them, and as they are quite long songs, this harms the set by losing the momentum. The little jams that lead into songs are quite boring – for a band who provide lengthy tunes, they don't need to extend them to provide a good live show. 'Seems Like Home To Me' is the ultimate lament, and 'Steady Rolling' is like a Charles Portis novel made lyrical. These are stand-out songs in the set, which only serve to make the less interesting bits appear even more dull. 'Las Cruces Jail' should have been the final song of the night, but instead they limp out with yet another samey song.
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It isn't always necessary for the act to interact with the crowd, but tonight I think it would have helped. It was only right at the end of the show that they even acknowledge the audience, and in some cases this would make them enigmatic, but tonight it seemed almost rude. Part of the live experience is that the band shouldn't look like they're performing in a television studio, especially in the more intimate venues.
Were I hearing Two Gallants for the first time tonight, I would have been hit by flashes of brilliance that were marred by times where you lose interest and start looking at your watch. As someone who knows most of the back-catalogue, it was enjoyable all of the way through, but I was ready for it to end when it did, and I wasn't seeking an encore. Two Gallants do have the songs, but they need more. The sound works really well, they just need to be a little more creative with it. A bit of variation in what they do would ear-mark to become a truly brilliant band, for now they should reduce their sets by twenty minutes and leave the audience craving more. Definitely ones to watch.
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