Beach House & Vetiver – Union Chapel, London 21/08/09

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I’m running a little late tonight. Work was a bit mental and it’s about quarter past 8 by the time I get to Highbury & Islington. That pretty much scratches any plans of getting a decent seat at the Chapel tonight. Gosh darnit! So Plus One and I head straight upstairs to the Chapel bar. We debated a bit beforehand if, indeed, it had a bar. We were under the false impression that the venue doesn’t have a license for alcohol anymore, and that was one of the reasons this, literally divine, setting was closed in the first place. We were wrong. It does. Very cosy too I might add.

So, by the time we do make it inside the main performance area, Vetiver, the co-headliners for this evening, are drifting through their set and are seemingly almost as hotly anticipated as Beach House. Looks like everyone has a penchant for a taste of their laid back Americana folk. Their sound was an invitingly warm one, with tender tones of guitar lines floating hazily within made the grey stone cold walls of the church, making it feel like it opened into a big grassy field. This is the stuff of sunny days and ear-to-ear, Cheshire-size grins. ‘You May Be Blue’ in particular took to me a faraway place. Although the incredibly uncomfortable pews we’re sitting on quickly bring us back to earth.

But there was little doubt when Beach House took to the er… altar that they were the ones the majority wanted to see. It seems they’ve managed to find their comfort zone just outside of the hazy dreams of their catalog. There’s a pindrop silence as the band get into their groove. “This first song is called…. Silence…” says keyboardist/singer Victoria Legrand. People want to laugh but it’s restrained. It’s awkward. I guess there’s an unwritten code of conduct while watching gigs in a church. Without even trying, they’ve created a natural quiet akin to a Holy Communion which set the scene perfectly. People are respectful and appreciative and that’s just the way I like it (as opposed to rude and obnoxious which I’m sure there are some fans of out there).

This evenings mass is treated with a selection of choice cuts from Beach House’s self-titled and Devotion records. ‘Apple Orchard’ was the first of many tightly woven soundscapes. Guitarist Alex Scally takes control of the fluid slide guitar and laptop-aided drumbeats, while Victoria’s detached heroin-chic demeanor yet soulful vocals float over her fuzzy organ riffs. ‘Gila’ is an achingly atmospheric song from the heart and ‘You Came To Me’ is knotted around some pretty grand mournful organ lines. Particular highlight was the faint ‘Heart of Chambers’, sounding heart rending with Victoria’s voice much more akin to Chan Marshall’s breathy drawl but more other-worldly. They played a handful of new songs too which promised a bright future. One new song in particular sounded like a carousel sweeping through an ancient fair ground. It sounded delicious. Downside of the evening though, was that it all seemed a tad too short but I am a firm subscriber of the notion that it’s better to leave us wanting more rather than outstaying your welcome.