Au Revoir Simone, London Scala

Au Revoir Simone

June 10, 2010

The kind of delicate and dreamy synth riffs played by Brooklyn Francophiles Au Revoir Simone conjure up images of voyages through the galaxy if it was entirely knitted and the stars were made of kitchen foil and cardboard. Their brand of shoegazey synths, solid beat and fragile, soft vocals have the ability to hypnotise and relax the audience tonight. Their unassuming Kraftwerk style stage presence and sweet giggly between-song chatter consisting mostly of “Oh my gosh this is totally awesome you guys, thank you SO much, we love London!” creates a lovely atmosphere in the sold out Scala. It is clear the girls are so grateful to be playing in this venue and did not expect the huge reception they receive from the crowd after every song. It is warming to see that the show is special to them as well as to their audience.

The band’s latest album Still Night, Still Light is packed with hooks, catchy melodies and an overall sense of starry-eyed melancholy all done in a style similar to that of French synth-gazers M83 or a less mechanical and forceful Maps. Their sound translates well to the stage, despite some technical problems and general bad sound quality.

The intimacy of the songs are lost a bit in the venue as the almost whisper-like vocals on some of the tracks don’t come across clearly and the volume of the drums makes  the band sound almost like a dance act with heavy bass and beat. Most of the songs flow brilliantly, though, and the swells of noise really take the room into another world. The peaceful and mellow nature of the music doesn’t really allow for much movement. This is the kind of gig you’d take a date to see rather than go to with a group of mates. Au Revoir Simone are the perfect soundtrack to a loved up summer and are a band to fall in love to and with.

Ending the great show with a surprise cover of ‘Boys of Summer’, Au Revoir Simone thank the audience once again and leave the stage to rapturous applause and whistles. Au Revoir Simone are a great band on record, but might not be worth seeing live unless you know the songs. And if you’re not familiar with Au Revoir Simone’s music then do so, and go and see them live.

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