Review/ 'As The Limiñanas entered the venue, The Exchange was submerged by a Parisian takeover'

By Ellen Kinsey, Fourth year, Film and French

'With the nostalgia inducing melodies, the live performance is more of a personal experience than one immersive with the band itself', Ellen Kinsey reviews The Limiñanas.

Whilst The Limiñanas entered the venue, The Exchange was submerged by a Parisian takeover, their sound flooding over the venue like metaphoric cigarette smoke in a jazz bar. The French musical and married duo Lionel and Marie Limiñana, were joined by a mix-match crew of seemingly seven strangers. When on stage, each were in their own world, creating movements and sounds of their own.

Introducing the set with the husky vocals of ‘Je m’en vais’, orchestrated the shadowy pysch-rock vibe that would carry the evening. Following was ‘Istanbul is Sleepy’ a representation of their chaotic yet dream-like stage presence. The track is layered with instruments, synths and vocals and all seven were operating their respective instrument facing each side of the stage isolating themselves from one another and the audience. Despite creating their own sounds in their own world, it blended to together harmoniously and added to the charm of it all. The disengagement with the crowd places the viewers in their own dream-state allowing the music to replicate something within their own subconscious or imagination.

The album title track ‘Shadow People’ is more of a similar sound to other current psych-rock bands such as Temples. A clash of the tambourine, the “ooh-and-aaahing” vocals and the side-to-side stomping beat. It’s a track that is both trance inducing and foot stomping.

Each song that succeeded the other was unique; whether it be a combination of plucky riffs and husky feminine vocals in ‘Cold Was on the Ground’ or ‘Salvation’ the multi-layer of sounds from beeping and static and swaying to North-African influenced guitar rifts.

Finishing with a heavier and more rock orientated ‘The Train Creep A-Loopin’ revved the audience right up until the sudden crash ending. Each Limiñanas song could be placed into a different genre of music from garage, to rock to an eclectic mix of North African influence from Lionel Limiñanas’ Algerian heritage, and the sounds of the French nouvelle vague. With the nostalgia inducing melodies, the live performance is more of a personal experience than one immersive with the band itself.

Featured Image: The Limiñanas / Facebook

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