Lorelle Meets The Obsolete
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER –
It’s been some two and a half years since Manchester last had the pleasure of the company of Lorelle Meets the Obsolete, a Mexican psych shoegaze outfit, so their return with a new album and a mammoth string of live dates is most welcome.
In the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter at Night & Day Café, we have a three band bill. Opening tonight are Demur, a Manchester trio originally known as Bull in the Whisky Shop. They have an impressive rhythm section and an overall grunge inspired sound that sets things off nicely.
They are followed by Good Foxy, a Lancashire based quintet who channel all the best bits of the 80s, whilst leaving out the cheese. With psychedelic influences running through out, they get feet tapping and bodies moving and their fan base get into things as the set progresses and the noise volume rises. The keys are the drawing element, adding a funky edge. As they close up, the room is truly buoyant.
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete returned with a new album, Balance, on 16th September, released on Captcha and Sonic Cathedral. Essentially the creation of duo Lorena Quintanilla and Alberto González, Lorelle Meets the Obsolete became main stays to psychedelic fans back in 2014 when Chambers was released. Since then they have acquired a loyal fan base and the fact that they play Europe so infrequently only adds to the fervour.
Opening with ‘La Distinción’, the first single taken from the new album, the band present as a five piece for their live performances. With its ridiculously catchy guitar riff, swirling vocals and rhythmic drum beat, this track channels all the right elements of shoegaze and psychedelia and blends them perfectly. The twinkling synth effect along with a change of key adds an intriguing element; this is the perfect track to open, with curious listeners edging ever forward. This is followed by ‘Balance’, a dreamy melodic number with lashings of reverb.
‘Eco Echo’ ups the tempo with its probing bass line, provided on this occasion by Fernando Nuti from New Candys, affected guitar riffs and swooning vocal interludes. Persistence and repetition are the key to understanding this track and as the elements rise and fall with its progression, the crowd are lulled into submission. ‘Music for Dozens’ is a change of tact, with its heavy guitar focus and the most shoegaze feel of the set.
‘Medicine To Cure Medicine Sickness’ is a racy, bass driven track with plenty going on to keep the listener entertained. Watching this live is a real treat as you can appreciate the beauty of the music as the band sway along, entrenched in their own sound. ‘Waves Under Shadows’ is a fuzz laden instrumental number which acts as a perfect bridge between the two noisier tracks. ‘Sealed Scene’, probably their most well known track, is executed in extended format to close the set and the sheer intensity of this makes it a great one to end as it is certain to leave the crowd wanting more.
They’ve been absent for some time, but with the release of Balance and their strong performance here tonight, the wait has undoubtedly been worth it.
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Lover of all things psych and shoegaze and the mind behind Astral Elevator; constantly seeking new musical experiences in a world full of noise.
