Scenestar

ARTICLE BY CHERYL CHENG
PHOTOS BY LESLIE KALOHI

JUNE 18 | LOS ANGELES—A lot has happened to Camera Obscura since the release of 2009’s My Maudlin Career. The biggest of which was keyboardist Carey Lander’s cancer diagnosis—forcing the band on an unexpected hiatus. However, the time away has only seemed to help the band further develop and evolve their sound, as Desire Lines is a record that is distinctly Camera Obscura, yet also a progression in terms of production and maturity. Lyrically, most of the songs go beyond laments about failed relationships. Rather, they seem to be deeper reflections on life in general. Tonight Camera Obscura mainly focused on the new album—performing Desire Lines nearly in its entirety. And rightly so—it’s brilliant.

Performing against the backdrop of the Desire Lines album artwork, the band opened with new track “Do It Again,” a catchy pop number that was an upbeat introduction to the night, even for those who had not yet listened to the new album. In between the new songs, Camera Obscura performed a few of their older tracks, including “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” “Tears for Affairs,” “Lloyd I’m Ready to be Heartbroken,” and “Razzle Dazzle Rose,” during which the band added an extended instrumental bit. All of these songs are from Let’s Get Out of This Country, and the focus on this album is notable, because it delineates between what the band started out as and what the band is today. Interestingly, the oldest song on the set list was “Teenager,” a quick nod to those earlier years with former co-singer-songwriter John Henderson. It seems Camera Obscura is ready to move forward, and early singles such as “Eighties Fan” won’t be included on any future set lists anytime soon.

When introducing title track “Desire Lines,” a slow love ballad, singer Tracyanne Campbell joked that she wanted “an electric version of this song.” Opening line “I went to California” elicited loud cheers from the audience. Although the band isn’t particularly chatty or exuberant onstage—perhaps it’s Scottish reserve—the members are clearly enjoying themselves. In fact, the most outwardly buoyant person onstage was touring trumpet player Tim Cronin, who received approving applause during his solo parts. Several times during the set, he would jump to drummer Lee Thompson’s cymbals and bang away. The entire band got their due recognition, such as when Carey played the organ introduction to “Lloyd,” which was met with great enthusiasm. And “Come Back Margaret” had the audience clapping along—not always an easy thing to accomplish in L.A.

In recognition of many in the audience who had also attended Camera Obscura‘s Amoeba in-store the day before, Tracyanne said, “We met half of you at Amoeba Records. It’s nice to see you again.” She then segued into “Break It to Me Gently,” a highlight of Desire Lines for its amusing lyrics: “You had the office before you had the business. You had the ring before you found the girl.”

As the night neared its close, Tracyanne remarked, “We got through the set list very fast. Well, you know how it works. We come back.” The band performed a few more songs for the encore, including “French Navy,” one of the standout tracks from My Maudlin Career. The song addresses all the subjects that most Camera Obscura fans identify with: a dusty library, art, and broken hearts. “We’ve had a good time in L.A. Thanks so much. Hope to see you soon,” Tracyanne said as the band left the stage. It’s unclear how soon that might be, considering the lead singer’s pregnancy, but the band has taken time to address life’s priorities, and it hasn’t hurt Camera Obscura‘s music in the slightest.

Set List
Do It Again
Let’s Get Out of This Country
New Year’s Resolution
Break It to You Gently
Fifth in Line to the Throne
Tears for Affairs
Teenager
This Is Love (Feels Alright)
Every Weekday
Swans
Lloyd I Want to be Heartbroken
If Looks Could Kill
Troublemaker
Come Back Margaret
Encore
Desire Lines
French Navy
Razzle Dazzle Rose