Portland – Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am a hopeless sucker for bands with a lead female vocalist. Paramore, Beach House, Haim, you name it; I’ll fall head over heels in love with any confident, quirky woman who can sing me pretty words. So naturally I was eagerly anticipating the Pure Bathing Culture/Hundred Waters double-headliner show at Mississippi Studios this past Friday. The love story I have with each of those bands is both long and insufferably fanboyish, so I’ll spare you by saying that both of these artists have kept me riveted since I first discovered them.

Since both performances were worth discussing in detail, I’ll be starting with Pure Bathing Culture. I first stumbled upon them by accident, enticed by their strange band name. The evocative artwork for their debut LP Moon Tides seemed to beckon out to me, inviting me out to meditate on those foggy beaches by the ocean unknown. I was immediately caught off guard by the opening track “Pendulum”, a glimmering ode to mysticism and the daring vagabond spirit. Each song is a spiritual journey, combining wispy guitars and delicately textured rhythms to create an atmosphere of overwhelming comfort. Singer Sarah Versprille is a force of nature all to her own, often channeling the best of Fleetwood Mac and Beach House with crystalline finesse. The entirety of Moon Tides is a hot spring of emotion and depth, and was incidentally one of my top albums last year.

The first thing I noticed about Pure Bathing Culture as they stepped onstage was how natural their presence felt. The band’s founders Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille have lived in Portland since 2011, though their stylish outfits might have you pegging them as lifelong natives. Throughout the performance they seemed to effortlessly capture the city’s unique subculture of nature-loving spirited astrology-geeks who spend time drinking coffee and going on hikes. From the opening chords of “Scotty” the night was destined to be memorable. The uninitiated amongst the crowd were quickly enraptured in Sarah’s wistful essence; she nailed the song’s hook “it’s your natural place” as if she were truly at home for the first time.

The eight-song set was already off to a wondrous start before “Dream the Dare”, another favorite off Moon Tides. I found myself frequently absorbed in Daniel Hindman’s guitar playing, which sounds surprisingly like sober transcendence.  I remain convinced that his tone is some celestial gift that he won in a bargain from some drunken lords of space-time.

Sarah then announced they would be premiering a few new songs, to the crowd’s delight. The first one titled “Palest Pearl” was pleasant enough, though it didn’t manage to be particularly impressive. The second however was a splendid show of growth for the band: “The Tower” explored a myriad of new colored textures amid some unexpected time changes. Daniel’s emotive guitar solo reminded me distinctly of a Continuum-era John Mayer minus the blues influences. But like the blues greats of old, Daniel had me nearly convinced that his guitar was singing. It was quite the memorable siren song, and the scattering of “wows” afterward seemed to echo my sentiments.

The rest of the show seemed to pass by in mere moments, though each song was memorable in its own way. “Silver Shore’s Lake” most closely paralleled the relaxed love songs of yacht-rock staples like Fleetwood Mac. The crowd favorite “Pendulum” came in full force with it’s rousing chorus (Little fears/ whispered in rabbit’s ears) and of course I was singing along and dancing my little heart out. Despite some issues with guitar volume, “Pendulum” managed to elevate the room to a buzzing new frenzy.

Two more songs rounded out the night. Another new treat was “Pray For Rain”, a light and airy walkabout imbued with the confident swagger of a band who’s spent the past year being praised by fans and critics across the nation. They closed the set with “Ivory Coast”, a loving send-off into the perilous clouds of endless cerulean skies.

Pure Bathing Culture navigated some tricky waters with ease, playing a balanced collection of old favorites and new experiments. Some worked better than others, but I never witnessed a dull moment in the entire set. I have always felt that these guys were masters at creating a stirring sense of place, so this performance truly brought that fantasy to life. For myself and numerous other fans, Pure Bathing Culture set the bar high for whatever was to come next. Thankfully, the haunting folk melodies of Hundred Waters were about to slink down from the rafters of Portland’s Mississippi Studios.

Part two of this article will conclude the review with Hundred Waters’ unforgettable show. Don’t miss it.

Photo By Lauren Ray