New York – Brooklyn-based chamber pop sextet Friend Roulette played a gig at Palisades, premiering much of the new material, recently released via sophomore LP I See You. Your Eyes Are Red, out on Goodnight Records. Comprised of Julia Tepper (violin and vocals), Matthew Meade (guitar and vocals), John Stanesco (bass clarinet and EWI), Tlacael Esparza (drums), Kyle Olson (drums) and Nate Allen (bass), the eclectic group premiered their “psychedelic orchestral synth pop”.
The band, which formed in 2010 after Meade spent an extensive time hanging out with Tepper “writing songs on the piano with one hand” while in recovery following a car accident, gradually developed into the serious formation of a band. Projecting a unique and melancholy commentary that ranges from conjuring up the experience of a drug overdose (“Stoned Alone”) to varied midweek benders (“Up In The Air”), they also retain a dark humour quite clearly evidenced in their live show, where there is the sense that fun is being had by all.
Blending a classical background, influenced by a number of composers, merged with an affinity for their own brand of psychedelia, the group also maintains a core and essential component - synths infused by the EWI (electronic wind instrument) played by Stanesco. This layering of an unlikely combination of elements works for the band’s celebration of inconsistency, especially in their live show where nothing comes across too rehearsed or staged. Claiming to “still be figuring it all out” when it comes to their projected sound, Friend Roulette show an uncanny knack for taking the weird and making (a still convoluted but enjoyable) sense out of it.
Meade, who has described his past writing processes as simply waking up and “hit[ting] the piano while I was still hazy, faded and basically asleep”, nails the impression of almost naïve uncomplicatedness within all of the assorted components that comprise Friend Roulette’s music. The possible disorder that could come out of having a band with six members instead finds the band on stage confident in their individual roles while each contributing a different yet essential aesthetic. Palisades’ DIY atmosphere lent itself to this controlled chaos; evoking the sort of strange space where both the mundane and bizarre happenings within the band’s tracks could evolve, entertaining a crowd clearly up for the experimental and unpredictable.
The longstanding friendship of the members of Friend Roulette was obvious, and their set felt like it could have been lifted from a spontaneous and inspired jam session. There was no mistaking the relaxed chemistry of the band. It’s apparent that the group has come together via a shared passion for making music, while creating an interesting and vibrant story that is sure to win them additional fans and a niche in the Brooklyn scene and beyond.
Stay up to date with Friend Roulette via their Facebook and Twitter pages.
Ruby Hoffman
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