Date: 03/11/2010, Thu
Venue: The Studio at Webster Hall
Text by Jim Hoey
If you’re like me, maybe your gut instinctively recoils at the mention of yet another band “moving to New York to take it to the next level”, but then you feel like a jaded mofo and you try to get objective and give whatever it is that’s in front of you a chance.
Sweet Electra, from Guadalajara, Mexico are one of these bands, and recently when I received the invite to attend this event, this was my reaction, but I stuck it out, checked them out online, and did a little homework before attending their show at The Studio in the basement of Webster Hall.
Turns out they’ve played around a lot in Mexico and New York, are poppy electronica, sometimes called Acid Cabaret or Nopal Beat, with a live rhythm section in concert, lushly produced on album. For this night at Webster Hall, singer Nardiz Cooke took the stage, tugging nervously at her dress all night to keep from “showing too much” and dropping mics now and again off the top of her keyboard, which she used sparingly. She was joined by bandmate Giovanni Escalera on guitars and laptop, and backed by a bass and drum rhythm section and a violinist that came out for a few tunes.
Live, they seemed caught between their acid jazz/cumbia azteca roots and lush electronica, going for a sweeping soundscape. The drummer seemed to be checking out the laptop in front of him for cues and the guest violinist looked as if they just pulled him of the street on his way to the Continental for a shot and a beer.
The charm of this band is all about the singer, who looked elegant this night in an evening dress and sounded strong. At this show, she held it together, working her way through new material from their forthcoming album, When We Abandoned Earth, as well as older songs, trying to lift the audience up with her spectral sound. Unfortunately, the switch from the rave/disco culture that they seemed to have made isn’t complete yet; she sounded caught up at times with nothing of substance in her words, no images coming out, just vague “ooohs” and “ahhhs”. On a dance floor in Mexico City, with a DJ remix, spun at supersonic volume, I can imagine her voice conquering everyone in the room, but this night, it felt sweet, but simple, and faltering in effect, like she was still groping for a subject worthy of her talents. If they could somehow amp it up, and latch on to solid images or intense moods, à la CSS from Brazil, or Portishead, they might be able to some day stand out from the crowd in New York and truly reach beyond.
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