By Amelie Daisy Ophelia , Music Sub-Editor
Bristol's own 4-piece experimental rock band, Lice return to their roots, debuting latest album 'Third time at the beach'. Queued up with two fantastic openers, lice are emotive, expressive with an astoundingly bold concept.
Mp3 Chainsaw, a Synth-fueled, chaotic post-hardcore open the night with a bang, literally. Fantastically fresh and home grown Bristol based band have a haphazard but charming aesthetic, loud and bodacious with their sound. The heavy drum rhythm and overlaying of sound sets an impossible to ignore dance precedent.
Debuting their latest single 'On repeat', it's a crowd pleaser and heightens the energy in the room. The conversational switch between vocalists was entrancing, the tone swings from extreme rage to melancholy kept the audience on its toes.
MP3 chainsaw as a post-hardcore band were fuelled and viciously interesting, but perhaps not quite the right fit for the night. The cacophony across one song was joyfully chaotic, but overwhelming as an opener to Lice's thoughtful experimental-rock.
Yard is if Bilbo Baggins was obsessed with electro noise, and I couldn't love it more. Definitely not my go to on-the-bus genre, electro noise is so far from where I would stick my pretentious nose, but Yard were unmissable.
Chaos incarnate and joy personified, you can tell the lead vocalist adored every minute. Jumping around the stage (somewhat a cause for concern given the precarious state of the cables) the elation was infectious and the sound that bubbled forth was frenetic.
'Ecysis' a chant that echoed around the walls of strangebrew, bizarre and cooky, the heavy bass making it impossible not to join in. Stuck in my head for days, I eventually gave in and looked up what this bizarre acronym could mean, not expecting much, this is what I found: the act of melting or shedding an outer cuticular layer (as in insects or crustaceans).
The Band were made by the hectic madness of the lead singer, a man whose mission seems to be to touch the roof. Unfortunately the name of the vocalist remains a mystery to me, quite possibly due to the name of the band itself. The word Yard in recent times seems to have become synonymous with that of Leeds based band Yard Act, making smaller bands with similar names difficult to separate or attain acknowledgement online. This would indeed be a tragedy, the soulful lyrics "hello-kitty heater" from their single 'Big shoes', is one that needs to be shared with the masses.
Lice touring their on-purpose confusingly labeled second album 'third time at the beach', give a solid performance. With a quirky stance to lighting and a vocalist with an energy that reminds one of James Acaster on crack.
Self-described as ‘a three-part epic exploring our struggle to better understand the world around us’, I was expecting pretentious and lyrically empty. Lice however deliver an album that is far from it, filling the boots of their marketing and then some. An attempt to capture the nuances and cacophony of the collective experience that is life, is an impossible task that lice deliver on.
Having previously listened to the album before the gig is a necessity. The progression in sound and emotional journey isn't something fully digested on a first listen whilst simultaneously moving to the music. The live version adds new elements that the dialogue in my headphones can't seem to match. Each listen unlocks a new level to the album, the overlaying and juxtaposition of instrumental styles cements the title of concept album.
The opening track 'unscrewed' combines beautifully classical piano with electronic percussion is a tale of conception, and birth from the perspective of a baby. Who wouldn't want to hear an attempt at this description?
With the lighting coming to a mutinous end two songs into the set, lice bounce back with the zeal of a new born deer. Lead singer Alistair Shuttleworth, a prime example of nominative determinism, builds back the energy lost alongside the lights, with a manic energy. Whilst a solid effort the lack of lights and the floors that seem to have been washed with wax lead to a not quite successful mosh pit.
The stand out performance coming from lead guitarist Silas Dilke in 'Moan in circles', a beautifully haunting guitar solo tearing apart the sonic blanket lyrically created in the moments before.
Musically an epic and a band I'm sure will have their name in lights, but aesthetically missing the mark. Given an eyeliner pencil, some gel for Sid vicious hair spikes, and a lighting system where you could see the stage, lice would be everything you want from a indie-sleaze/experimental-rock band.
Featured Image: Tom FoleyWhat did you think of the new album?
