Braids @ Norwich Arts Centre
An amazing night of music
Norwich Arts Centre is one of the most visually stunning and sonically gifted venues in our region. Montreal art-rock trio Braids truly did the space justice in a genre-transcending, punch-packing showcase of their 2015 effort Deep In the Iris, making for an astonishing and unforgettable night of musical innovation.
Two huge studio lamps illuminate Raphaelle Standell-Preston (on bass and vocals) and guitarist Taylor Smith as Braids begin their set. The twosome stand opposite one another on a perfectly symmetrical stage, manning two stands covered in buttons and keys. Austin Tufts plays drums from a raised platform at the back of the stage. The whole set-up has a kind of Star Trek feel, intensified phenomenally by the interstellar melodies of opener Joni. Percussion by the bucketload is interlaced with God knows how many different synths and sequencer tracks, creating an enormous sound that reverberates around the room. Taste follows and brings an early high with fierce, thunderous drums that reach a mesmerising crescendo.
An immaculate sense of control can be witnessed between the three performers, who share a delightful synergy on stage. The room is quiet and far from full, but the band look confident; they ebb and flow in time with each other, quick smiles and bursts of eye contact hinting at just how in tune they are. Raphaelle and Taylor often switch instruments mid-song, adding guitar or bass in certain places to dynamic effect, but what’s astonishing is that even when no ‘real’ instruments are being played, the music retains an embracing depth and texture. All manner of sounds are phased in and out from the tiny platforms of the two fronting members, Raphaelle’s extraordinary vocals adding a wispy top layer in the same way Taylor’s tempered pounding of cymbals acts as a solid foundation. The mostly drum-and-bass style tracks entice and delight, with unpredictable tempo changes coming often from nowhere to mix things up.
The xx and fellow Canadian electro-princess Grimes are channelled in ambient cuts from Deep In the Iris. Sore Eyes is a streak of repetitive pop magic, Happy When an eerie, down-tempo cascade of piano chimes and Miniskirt a lyric-driven comment on gender inequality that hits hard and shows just how heartfelt a songwriter Raphaelle is. Austin starts the set-closer Warm Like Summer with a reverb-drenched scream that escalates to huge volume before four minutes of Death Cab For Cutie-reminiscent indie electronica floods the room and bounces around the ceiling. Short thanks are said and Companion (the title track of the group’s latest EP) brings an end to proceedings, capping an amazing night of music with an awe-inspiring vocal performance from Raphaelle.
