Politeness may not be a highly prized quality in indie music, but Glasgow’s Camera Obscura have to be one of the most amiable bands out there. Still touring behind last year’s vibrantly bittersweet My Maudlin Career, the six Glaswegians brought considerable low-key charm to the rare all-ages show at Portland’s small, usually humid Berbati’s Pan. They seem to have an affinity for the Northwest, as this is their second Portland show in a year and they will soon be playing Washington’s Sasquatch Festival. Maybe they just appreciate a bookish, arty population used to rain.
I only caught a few songs of openers Princeton (note to band: naming yourselves after exclusive schools does not make you seem smarter). To be fair, some band members grew up on a street called Princeton, but it’s still a name with a little too much weight. They sounded British and from the ’80s, but were neither. They were perfectly pleasant and perfectly forgettable and twee enough to make the headliners feel muscular and badass.
I’ve seen Camera Obscura one other time before and this show didn’t differ much from that one. While they are solid as a band, they don’t bring much to the live setting, aside from adorable Scottish accents and vintage clothing. Then again, their songs are good enough that they don’t need to do much. They drew heavily from their fine 4AD debut, My Maudlin Career, the downside of which was that some of the lush, retro production, with its echoes of Motown, Phil Spector and countrypolitan, was absent in concert. “The Sweetest Thing” evoked sunny ’60s California, “James” was resigned and calm and the sparkling single “French Navy” drew the most applause. Leader Tracyanne Campbell’s rich voice and wry lyrics are the center of most of their songs, but the band is, if understated, supple and focused. Like a band they’re often compared to, Belle and Sebastian, they are not as mopey as they seem, but far more melodic, smart and self-aware. Campbell often puts herself (or her image) in the lyrics, like in “Honey in the Sun,” where she sings “I wish my heart was as cold as the morning dew/ But it’s as warm as saxophones and honey in the sun for you.” “Honey in the sun” wouldn’t be a bad descriptive tag for the band.
They pulled out many of their best songs, including “Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken,” their belated answer to countryman Lloyd Cole’s “(Are You) Ready to Be Heartbroken?” and two excellent songs from 2004′s Underachievers Please Try Harder, “Keep it Clean” and “Teenager,” which featured robust, equine drumming.
If there was a fault to the show, it’s that it was a little too subdued for a live show and never really gained in momentum. Partly it was the fault of the long-running venue, which is serviceable, but hardly ideal for a sophisticated pop band like Camera Obscura. However, they did return for an especially strong and exuberance two-song encore, “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” during which Campbell briefly forgot the lyrics, and the trumpet-laden “Razzle Dazzle Rose.” It ended the evening on a high note, but I’m not sure if I’d catch them again unless I can sit down and have a cup of tea. Preferably with the band, as they seem like awfully nice folks.
by Lukas Sherman
[Photos: Maya Cortés and Debi Del Grande]
