Posted on Sunday 18 October 2009
By Jodi Root
It was a simply magical evening at Schuba’s this past Saturday night. Warm glowing orange and golden lights illuminated the small, intimate stage of this Chicago indie hot spot music venue. A gathering of couples and small flock of hipster kids decked in flannel hugged the front of the stage, swaying and mesmerized by the men of the hour, Sub Pop Sweethearts–Grand Archives. Front man Mat Brooke (formerly of Carissa’s Wierd and Band of Horses) and crew showcased several tracks from their September release Keep in Mind Frankenstein, following fellow Seattle rockers Black Whales.
The sound at Schuba’s was especially clear and crisp, bringing out the best in this melodic, delicate folksy alt country performance. While stage banter was (admittedly) lacking and slightly awkward, (Chicago sports references, really? You think the skinny dude with tight rolled jeans and massive beard gives a crap about the Bears or White Sox?), Grand Archives definitely made up for it with their harmonic vocal melodies and gorgeous multi-instrumentation. Harmonicas, whistling, soft guitars and variety of percussion tactics made up the backbone of the soundtrack for the evening—serving as the ultimate hipster lullaby score. Highlights included Frankenstein’s “Dig that Crazy Grave, “ the upbeat single “Silver Among the Gold,” the harmonica infused “Left for all the Strays,” the country twang melodic “Oslo Novelist” and the light, folky ditty “Witchy Park/Tomorrow Will (Take Care of Itself).”
Overall, the performance proved itself to be a delicate and light, delectable evening of listening pleasure. An alt-country indie version of a hipster’s Winter Ball, if you will—melodic and charming, an impressive score for such a small four-man lineup.
Buy: Grand Archives
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MP3: Grand Archives – “Oslo Novelist”
MP3: Grand Archives – “Silver Among the Gold”
