– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER –
When Quilt accepted a support slot with fellow Americans The War On Drugs, it is unlikely they expected this to become the hottest show in town. Tickets were trading outside the venue for almost treble face value and demand has forced The War On Drugs to add a show at The Ritz later this year. This interest has translated well for Quilt as they benefit from the venue bustling with people long before the headliners take to the stage.
January of this year saw the release of their second LP Held In Splendor, an album which deserves a wider audience than the band have found so far. Though the band are from Boston (Massachusetts not Lincolnshire) spiritually their home lies on the West Coast. Clearly influenced by bands like Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane, and easily catalogued next to Woods and Foxygen, Quilt make gorgeous psychedelic pop which makes you pine for sunnier climes than a dreary day in Manchester provides.
From the first note It is very easy to lose yourself in Quilt’s music. The guitars are warm, vocals are lush and lyrically they offer a sense of mystery and adventure, never more than on the dreamy ‘Arctic Shark’.
Quilt’s biggest strength lies in their effective use of boy/girl harmonies from guitarists Anna Fox Rochinski and Shane Butler. The pair both take on lead vocals but are at their finest when singing together like on the Beatles-esque ‘Saturday Bride’.
While there is something of a pastiche about the songs tonight, it is impossible to mind when the songs are crafted and executed this well. With any luck, the next time I see Quilt will be in the sunshine with cider in hand.
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Features Editor and gig reviewer
