ARTICLE BY MYCHELLE PETERSON
PHOTOS FROM M83 MYSPACE AND SVIIB MYSPACE
NOV. 21 | CHICAGO—The sounds of M83 and tour mates School of Seven Bells aren’t for everyone. And the sounds of them live might be for even fewer. By no means is either band untalented or lacking in good music, but it takes a certain mindset to appreciate a cinematic soundscape at a live show. Maybe on another night I’d have been up for it, but tonight I found myself wishing I was tucked in my bed, listening to both bands on very loud headphones.
School of Seven Bells has been on the lips of many for the past several months, as the project of former Secret Machine Ben Curtis and twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza (of the now-defunct On!Air!Library!). They have the pedigree to make a great combination—lush vocal harmonies, swirling guitars and a drum machine. On record, the album plays like an extended piece of background music, with each track blending into the next. But live, the tracks feel disjointed and yet completely repetitive and lacking individual identity. And those vocal harmonies? It pains me to say I heard strains of Enya instead of the ethereal sounds found on tracks such as “Connjur” from the band’s debut album, Alpinisms.
After seeing Secret Machines a month ago, I had remarked that the more talented Curtis brother must have been Ben since the Machines’ live show was lacking in excitement. But I was mistaken. Ben seemed bored playing in between the twins (gorgeous as they are), and he sneered a few times toward the crowd. His guitar was drowned out by the overbearing drum machine, and sometimes it looked like he was doing nothing at all. No one seemed to be having a particularly good time on stage, and that lack of energy made its way into the audience. Nevertheless, there were definitely fans of the band in the crowd, dancing and singing along in a sonically-induced haze. As I said, this performance was not for everyone.
M83’s venture into new territory with last album Saturdays=Youth was apparent when mixed with older tracks from the band’s first few albums. They started out a bit slow, and I found myself dozing off a few times while standing amongst the sold-out crowd. But once they pulled out tracks from the new album, they hit their stride. “Graveyard Girl” was a crowd favorite along with “Kim & Jessie.” Predictably, the crowd went a little nuts when “Don’t Save Us From The Flames” was performed, but fans were equally receptive to the newer stuff.
And yet, I still wasn’t completely overwhelmed and excited. I kept thinking I would have been happier at home with those headphones in front of a fireplace. Live, the songs were arranged a bit differently for some variety, and that was a good thing. But for me, it wasn’t enough to drag me out of the house on a frigid November night in Chicago.
Only during the encore did I feel as though the band was completely compelling and in a groove in which I wanted them to stay. “Couleurs” was the best track of the night, during which the guitars really pounded with the intensity and passion that I was looking for.
M83 and School for Seven Bells perform in Los Angeles post-Thanksgiving for a show at the Music Box on Nov. 29. Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.
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