Camera Obscura – The Lexington, London 16/03/09

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Photo by Crazybobbles

Veterans of the Scottish indie-pop scene they may be, but Camera Obscura were still visibly nervous tonight. Although the Lexington’s a tiny venue by their standards- they’re playing the much bigger Shepherd’s Bush Empire next month- it’s the first time they’ve performed most of their new album My Maudlin Career (what a wonderfully fitting title!) in a live setting and they’re obviously worried. But despite Tracey-Anne Campbell’s perpetually apologetic demeanour, it soon becomes clear there’s little to worry about.

It could be argued that they rarely write dud songs, but then again, they’re not a band much noted for their adventurousness. They have a formula (Melancholy Tales Of Heartbreak + Twee-Orientated Indie Melodising A La Belle And Sebastian = PROFIT) and rigidly stick to it; there’s nothing from the new album that would be at all out of place on Let’s Get Out Of This Country. But as long as you can accept the lack of originality, there’s much to enjoy here.

The clear standout from the new LP (and indeed, the whole show) is the irresistible ‘French Navy’, which takes the band’s obsession with Northern soul and runs with it, resulting in one of the very finest entries in their canon. Even though it lacks the luscious strings of the recorded incarnation, the trumpet flourishes and sheer vitality of the thing prove exactly how good Camera Obscura can be when they’re on form.

Alas, they struggle to achieve quite the same highs throughout the rest of the set, although ‘The Sweetest Thing’ and ‘Honey In The Sun’ come tantalisingly close. ‘Swans’, with a melody that sounds like it was swiped from some 1980’s kids TV show, is a disposable if pleasant bit of fluff; the title track’s essentially a slowed-down ‘If Looks Could Kill’ (also played) which highlights the sense of over-familiarity that often creeps in during the lesser tracks. And although they play well, there’s still a certain “session band” quality about them. They’re not the most exhilarating viewing experience even at their most impassioned. Even the glorious ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heart-Broken’ came across as a bit too gauche – a little awkwardness suits their style, but their restraint too often works against them. But ‘Razzle Dazzle Rose’ ends the night on a high note and despite my quibbles, come the end there’s definitely a feeling of “a job well done”.

Solid, dependable and blessed with occasional flashes of genius, Camera Obscura won’t ever change your life but they may very well make it that little bit better.