Los Angeles – As The Echo’s house lights dimmed and the eager audience shuffled into place, an ominous drone filled the otherwise empty stage. One by one, Franklin James Fisher, Ryan Mahan, and Lee Tesche took the stage, each member of Algiers sporting a glare as menacing as the music playing behind them. At this point, an uninformed music fan would probably expect Deafheaven-style buttoned-up hipster black metal. Instead, the Atlanta, GA-based experimental band produces a one-of-a-kind sound that precisely blends punk, soul, and electronica. On top of the mix are Fisher’s passionate, gospel-inflected vocals injecting an equal dosage of ecstasy and lamentation.
As powerful as the lead vocals were, the perfectly timed call-and-response backing vocals from Mahan (bass/synths) and Tesche (guitar) give them even more frenetic immediacy. As Fisher spun, jumped, and gyrated about in a James Brown-inspired manner, Mahan did his best to keep up in his own frenzied style. Meanwhile, the well-dressed Tesche’s more subdued, deliberate approach belied the fact he was manufacturing the dissonance and feedback that transformed the slickly-produced tracks from the band’s Matador debut into a glorious mélange of noise punk and vintage soul. While Algiers is a solid debut, it lacks the immediacy and intensity that is so magnetic in the band’s live performance.
The chemistry between all three permanent members was palpable; Algiers’ songs are constructed with layers of intertwined singing, chanting, and stomping. In order to effectively pull off this intricate musical web, the performers must be more attuned with each other than the average band. And it was not just the full-time members of Algiers who left everything they had on the stage – touring drummer Matt Tong (of Bloc Party) poured his heart into the pounding rhythms with the same passion as the men who had composed them.
While the first few songs were integral in establishing the band’s socially-driven musical aesthetic, the real highlight of the set came at the halfway point. “Blood”, “Old Girl”, and “Irony. Utility. Pretext.” were a heavy 1-2-3 punch that left the audience staggering in awe of Algiers’ ability and ambition. Each of these songs provided the perfect combination of desolate Suicide-inspired soundscapes, thought-provoking vocal complementation, and feedback-driven punk noise.
Towards the end of Algiers’ set, a dialogue clip played over the quietly ambient background music. The clip described the American mainstreams’ reverence and obsession with black artistry while pointing out its simultaneous ambivalence towards the general welfare of the black population at large. As the surprisingly un-diverse crowd loudly cheered along with the clip, one couldn’t help but feel this issue being played out in real time – the clip pointed out the uncomfortable reality that perhaps we too were guilty of that exact offense.
It is a telling sign that Algiers’ set only grew more captivating as it rolled along. Many bands lack confidence as performers, front-loading the set to grab the audiences’ attention – but this backfires as the second half of the set turns into a snooze-fest. Lack of confidence is clearly not in issue for Algiers, as they offered up a cohesive set that impressed from the very first moments of “Remains”, to the late-set highlight of “Black Eunuch”, to the found-sound echoes of “Untitled” that filled the empty stage.
You have to give props to Algiers for turning down an encore; there was simply no need to add to what was a masterpiece of a live show. They churn out one of the most inspired and passionate live performances in the independent music scene – tacking on extra songs to abide by some dated concert cliché was unnecessary, and even if it disappointed fans a tad, it was a good choice,
Algiers’ performance at The Echo concludes their first major North American tour. They will take a short break during July before heading to Europe for three shows in France and one in Germany.
Take a look at the Algier ’s Facebook page for more tour information.
Photo by Matt Matasci
Matt Matasci
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