Concert Review: Florence and The Machine + The xx

2 weeks ago, Florence and The Machine and The xx played at the Esplanade Theatre. It was fantastic to enjoy a double bill by two critically-lauded British acts, though I suspected that, judging from the cheers, a greater portion of the audience was there to see the latter. Having enjoyed their albums in recent times, I was elated that for the price of a single ticket, I could savour the beauty of both bands. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

They were, however, as different as chalk and cheese. The xx kicked off the show with nary a shout or an attempt to engage the audience, but they immediately swept their devotees up in a vortex of sound.



When you see The xx play, you must know that they sound exactly as they do on record, the same understated chic and the same coolness amplified. The booming speakers send shivers running down your spine and they give you goosebumps, but of the good kind. That night, the trio played most of the songs in their repertoire. Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft let their music speak for itself, and Jamie Smith -- one hand on the synthesizers, the other on drums -- constantly worked his magic throughout their short set, sending their fans into overdrive. These youngsters, clad in black, were so dedicated to their craft. Before the end of their set, Oliver urged the crowd to keep an eye out for Florence and The Machine. They obliged.



For Florence's set, the stage was decked with drums, keyboards, and most ostensibly a harp. The orchestration was lush, though at certain times the sound was a let down: I couldn't hear Florence Welch enunciate her words distinctly. Nonetheless, Florence bantered endlessly with the audience. She got the concertgoers to clap, sing, dance and jump, among other things. She even borrowed a Polaroid camera from an audience member to take snapshots of the event. The 23 year old was deeply entranced several times and fan-girly in others, and it was rather amusing to watch. Florence and The Machine put on an emotional and enthralling show. At one point, the sold-out crowd even stood up to give her a standing ovation, which she and her band graciously acknowledged.

10 Favourite Albums of 2009

(Very late, I know.)

No Merriweather Post Pavilion, Bitte Orca nor Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix here. Just 10 albums that were on constant rotation in 2009 (and check out the end for my favourite EP). Not necessarily critics' picks. Enjoy.


10. Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure

Transmitter Failure is by no means the perfect pop record, but it is certainly one of the better ones that I have heard in a while. Jenny Owen Youngs preserves much of her lyrical wit and emotional depth on her sophomore album, but she amps up and delivers more delectable and accessible tunes that touch people at an emotional level and gets them to boogie at the same time.

Download:
Jenny Owen Youngs - Led to the Sea [MP3]






9. A Fine Frenzy - Bomb in a Birdcage

Like Youngs, Alison Sudol also upped the tempo from her debut to create a chirpier and feistier follow-up. Upbeat harmonies and arrangements are audible here, but Bomb in a Birdcage still retains some of that poignancy and fragility that Sudol is known for.











8. Little Boots - Hands

Hands is a collection of dance-floor friendly electropop hits like the oft-heard "New in Town" and "Remedy". "Mathematics" is particularly memorable for its lyrics, since matters of the heart are broken down into mathematical formulas and equations. Some occasional misses but on the whole a delightful record for dancing to. Kudos to the talented Ms. Hesketh for writing and playing her own material.

Download:
Little Boots - Meddle





7. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

With Humbug, Alex Turner and his friends threw the headiness of their previous records out the door. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme helped them churn out a set of wryly dark rock anthems, which grows on you after repeated listens.











6. Passion Pit - Manners

Cambridge, Massachusetts natives Passion Pit crafted this catchy indie dance-pop album. Manners sounds extremely coherent and solid when you listen to the entire album in one sitting.

Download:
Passion Pit - Moth’s Wings [MP3]









5. Miike Snow - Miike Snow

Swedish group Miike Snow consists of Andrew Wyatt and producers Chris Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (aka Bloodshy & Avant, co-writers of Britney Spears' "Toxic"). With this type of pedigree, you would think their self-titled debut is loaded with commercial pop. However, nothing here is shrouded in excessive gloss. Injecting a dollop of Scandinavian twee-ness into the mix, this makes for a highly engaging indie-electro pop record indeed.








4. Metric - Fantasies

Fantasies was not one of those LPs that I loved right from the start because I was accustomed to their older material. However, after a couple of plays, I was sold. It is consistently good from start to end. Lead singer Emily Haines' debonair personality and vocals shine through in most of the tracks, especially singles "Help I'm Alive" and "Gimme Sympathy".

Download:
Metric - Help, I'm Alive






3. The xx - xx

The London quartet's (now trio) self-titled eponymous album is probably one of the best debuts of 2009. xx is minimalist chic, chill music. The underrated instrumental opener "Intro" sucked me in when I first heard the album, and I knew I had to have more. Best to listen to when alone: this is contemplative stuff.










2. Florence and The Machine - Lungs

Florence Welch makes it all look so effortless. Lungs, the stunning debut from the London songstress and her band, features Welch's powerful voice and a medley of quirky yet intriguing songs.

Download:
Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love









1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Though the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have moved away from their original garage rock sound and embraced electro rock, It's Blitz! still lives up to its hype, buoyed by the collective talents of frontwoman Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Synthesizers make this album extremely energetic and appealing. Not to mention the album cover is pretty kick-ass too.

---

...and my favourite EP:


Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP

Fans of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago will love this follow-up EP. Justin Vernon is the same tortured soul here, deeply introspective, but the 4th and last track on the album, "Woods", surprises everyone with the presence of the vocoder.

Download:
Bon Iver - Blood Bank