The Besnard Lakes – Birmingham Hare and Hounds
The Besnard Lakes
March 30, 2010
I’m not sure the world needs another ‘Wolf’ related band name (I can think of 5 others off the top of my head), and I’m also not sure the world needs another classic rock band. Thankfully the world does need Wolf People because they understand how to make damn fine rock music. In an idle jam on Down’s second album, guitarist Pepper Keenan (yeah I know) yells out “the power of the riff compels you!” and this could well be Wolf People’s catchphrase.
These clean and crisp riffs are classic rock staples influenced by the full gamut of similar rock bands across the ages, from true classics such as Black Sabbath, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Free to more contemporary acts like Paul Weller and Blind Melon. They are slightly let down by uninspired lyrics and a lack of character and bite in the lead vocalist’s voice but this is one of the most polished and better sounding support acts I’ve heard in a long time. The big time could well be just around the corner.
The Besnard Lakes take to the stage and my first thought is how little Jace Lasek looks like how I expected. In fact, he bares a striking resemblance to The League Of Gentlemen’s Les McQueen, and a smirk crosses my face as I imagine him reminiscing over past glories along the lines of “Hey, remember these? Besnard Lakes, 1971. It’s a shit business.”
Tonight’s business is fortunately anything but, as Lasek and his cohorts fill the room with wave after wave of epic prog-tinged rock. The effects and reverb on the albums’ vocals are missing here, leaving us ith the crisp, ice cracking power of Lasek’s falsetto. Olga’s more gentle vocals seem to work better on stage than recorded; the difference in power and style between the husband and wife pairingmake for a unique contrasr.
The band open with ‘Like The Ocean, Like the Innocent’, arguably their best song to date and it sounds superb though for once I’m just the tiniest bit disappointed that the overall volume isn’t a touch higher. It sounds great but their music is massive and might have had more punch at bone-shuddering volume. ‘Albatross’, one of my least favourite tracks from new album The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night works so much better live, alongside excellent versions of ‘Like The Ocean’, ‘Disaster and ‘And This is What We Call Progress’.
The band end the night with ‘Thomasina’ from the debut album and its jagged, more deliberate prog-rock tendencies bookend the evening perfectly. The gig ends at a punishing 11:40 but it seems the majority of the crowd are leaving with smiles on their faces, pulled towards their beds with that haunting falsetto still ringing in their ears.
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