Efterklang – La Sala Rossa – Friday, March 5th, 2010

Burls sound revolves around guitar, banjo and bass, with Robin’s breathy vocals spread evenly over top. The result is subtle and rustic, if at times a bit repetitive. Their most engaging songs played on the balance of Robin’s smooth, bright voice and Mathieu’s deeper tones. This may not have been the best band to have opening for a Friday night show (their laid-back vibe seemed at odds with the high energy of the crowd), yet they still played a good set, and by the end, everyone seemed to be listening intently.

Efterklang took the stage next to loud applause, beginning their set with “Full Moon”, a track from their new album Magic Chairs. The band is made up of four permanent members, as well as a few other part time players. Last night, there were a total of six people onstage, yet there was no sense of claustrophobia in either space or sound. The musicians all seemed to understand each other, each part fitting seamlessly with the next. Their sound, not surprisingly, was expansive, feeling at times like a whole chorus rather than a handful of people. They are a band which makes full use of all their resources, managing to somehow make small percussion (such as the undervalued shaker) sound just as impressive and essential to a song as the drums or bass. Many of the songs which they played from Magic Chairs play on such contrasts in sound, Casper Clausen’s soft melodic voice tempered with rough keyboard and drum sections. Still, the combination of sounds was consistently tight, allowing even the more docile flute to come through. The audience seemed to be enchanted throughout the whole set, and there were many a spontaneous clap and whoop in time to the music. The energy was high on both ends, with Clausen repeating after almost every song that he was thankful and happy to be here. The last song of the night, “Cutting Ice to Snow”, seemed as though it would be played out slowly and softly. Instead, it grew in both volume and energy, until the audience was clapping happily once more, sent out into the night on a wave of fond memories. – Kyla Gilbert

Efterklang

Photography by Laura-Chanel Lespérance

Tags: 2010, Burls, Concert, Denmark, Efterklang, Friday, Kyla Gilbert, Laura Chanel-Lesperance, Live, March 5, Montreal, Review, Sala Rossa