Lucinda Black Bear @ Union Hall 4/9/11

Last Saturday, Lucinda Black Bear returned home to Brooklyn for a special show before they headed off on the European leg of their tour.

Less folksy and morose than the last time I heard them live, their sound has become more raw and now seems to be fueled by a dark southern gothic twang that I had not noticed before. Perhaps it was the venue – the dimly lit musky basement of Union Hall with its ancient decor – but Lucinda Black Bear’s sound had achieved a new resonance that pierced one’s soul.

Their set began with a misleadingly quiet opening that suddenly exploded with a psychedelic flurry of distortion. Just as suddenly as the crescendo had come, it was replaced with a quiet haunting melody.

This closely orchestrated ebb and flow in energy, sound, and style repeated itself throughout their set to highlight the emotional depth of the lyrics. Like a mournful specter seeking a new companion, lead singer Christian Gibbs would coo fatal lyrics like “take my poison/ here I am” and “all she wanted to be was strangled by starlight.”

To borrow my friend’s apt description, Gibbs sounded like a cross between Willie Nelson and a ghost from the Civil War. This ghostly ambiance was created in large part by the melancholy violin and cello of Gillian Rivers and Chad Hammer respectively.

It was both more haunting and frightful with its Southern Gothic vibe, while also more energetic than ever before, at times resembling a western prairie band at a mid-nineteenth century revival replete with the same twang and folksiness.

Overall a fantastic show that revealed a new aspect of their sound that I had not previously picked up on.

Listen to “Knives” below, but most importantly check out “Medicine Bag,” which is from a few years ago, but captures the energy of the 4/9 show nicely.

Lucinda Black Bear: Knives by Gracie Management

Lucinda Black Bear @ 92Y Tribeca 11/5 Concert Review

Last Friday I was fortunate enough to be invited to Lucinda Black Bear’s record release party for their second album “Knives” at 92Y Tribeca. After a long trudge through the deserted yet posh streets of Tribeca, I found myself in one of the strangest venues I’ve ever been to.

Situated deep in the bowels of a minimalist concrete and glass building that housed a sleek art exhibit, café, and bar, the stage was cold and alienating as it was set in a cavernous room with bare concrete floors and Spartan bleach white walls.

Lacking warmth and infinite in its solitude, the barren hall seemed to be a fitting backdrop to Christian Gibb’s mournful vocals. The seated café style arrangement before the stage lent a hushed air of introspective thought and quiet contemplation to the sorrowful lyrics.

Despite the stultifying venue, the band found a way to connect with the audience with a dazzling display of carefully honed musicianship. Playing a mix of songs from their first album as well as their latest release, these Indie folk rockers masterfully shifted between various styles in the span of a single beat. Transitioning smoothly between soft spoken folk, to twangy blues, and even anthemic rock, LBB showcased their ability to manipulate emotions and shift moods like a bi-polar woman on her period.

Perhaps, nowhere else was this more apparent than on “Suffocation Blues.” Fantastic melancholy blues would give way to foot stomping crescendos before immediately quieting down to a sullen blues once more.

This ability to create these seismic shifts emotionally is testament to the band’s skill in building intricately textured soundscapes with gorgeous string arrangements by Chad Hammer and Gillian Rivers (who has also contributed her talents to MGMT and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Together, they not only arranged the strings, but meticulously positioned the strings on each track during the mixing and mastering of the album.

Needless to say, the band played a fantastic set, ending it with a series of epic dizzying head banging solos and energized cymbal crashes. For their encore, they played an amazing cover of Springsteen’s “Born to Run” from their previous album, adding a quiet twang and poetic dimension to the song.

For such a stellar performance, the seated audience at café tables made the show feel austere and removed. Frustratingly, polite applause and silent nods of approval dominated the evening instead of the thundering cheers and enthusiastic nods (seeing as no one dances at Indie shows anymore) that the band deserved.

In sum, Lucinda Black Bear’s carefully constructed songs are even more impressive live as one is able to see the infinite care in which they create their lush and deeply layered music. Carefully orchestrated, beautifully conducted, and thought-provokingly sincere, these Brooklyn indie-folk rockers know exactly what they are doing. The only downside was the harsh seated venue, which the band bravely overcame through sheer force of talent.

AA Loves: Lucinda Black Bear

Indie folk rockers, Lucinda Black Bear, are back with two new tracks “Percival” and “Knives” that are perfect for the Fall as their tightly orchestrated songs evoke melancholy adventures in heavily wooded forests with furry animals.

To be more concrete, I would say that their sound combines the grandiose soundscapes of Sufjan Stevens with vocals akin to Andrew Bird and the foot stomping anthems of Arcade Fire. Each of their songs feature complex dark melodies with elaborate exchanges between cellos, violins, and guitar with thoughtful vocals sitting airily atop.

Unlike the free and loose playing of say an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, you get the feeling that each of Lucinda Black Bear’s songs have been carefully composed and refined after many grueling sessions to ensure that no note, rest, or word is out of place.

Enjoy the new tracks, which can be downloaded for free from the band's website and be sure to keep an eye out for the new album which drops November 2nd.

Lucinda Black Bear: Percival by cgracie

Knives by cgracie