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I always envision Warp artists playing in the dark. Looking back to other Warp acts I’ve seen over the years I’m reminded that they’ve all played from the unlit corners of the stage. Half the time I’m not even sure if they’re the act I’ve come to see. Tonight at the Ruby Lounge however, The Hundred in the Hands play in stark purple hues. Not so much steeped in mystery, but more like they’ve just stepped out of a Topshop shoot, adorned with fringes, white jeans and stripy t-shirts.
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for the Brooklyn pair. Having travelled across the Atlantic, and into the second night of their UK tour, a meagre 20 or so people have turned out to see them in the city they hold in high regard, it being home to the bands they hold dear.
The Hundred in the Hands certainly aren’t bad this evening. Vocalist Eleanore Everdell strikes me as being a little timid. Maybe it’s part of her coy indie starlet act. She’s got a few Karen O moves tucked away but too often she’s reluctant to step out from behind her tiny synth. Meanwhile Jason Friedman is just there and I’m not sure if he even cares whether there’s an audience or not, which is great, but it’s Everdell’s role that needs more moxie if THITH (great acronym guys) are to coax reluctant audiences out of their timidity this evening.
The pace is erratic within a bracket of er…dancey-ness. While the speed determines exactly how we should move or bop or tap or stand around stroking our chins or gyrate awkwardly in the corner, the songs veer from catchy light electro-pop to, dare I say, filler. New songs, an offering from their self-titled debut due out in September, border on bland and the obvious choice track for the next episode of Skins ‘Tom Tom’ is omitted from the set. Annoying. Nevertheless, it’s a passable evening. Hopefully they’re finding their feet with British crowds. I don’t think you’re in Williamsburg Toto. Or something like that. TAGS: The Hundred in The Hands, Warp Words by: Jonathan Hopkins Links:
The Hundred in The Hands - Myspace
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