Listener – The Underworld, London 23/4/14

28 April 2014, 12:09 | Written by Sarah Joy

(Live)

(Listener)

Spoken word and rock music, although liberated by icons such as Patti Smith and John Copper Clarke, are two worlds that rarely mix. Branded ‘Talk Rock’, the genre can be complicated territory as cutting the balance between poetic prose and heavy instrumentation often can go wrong if one element overpowers the other. Done well though, dramatic soundscapes can help transform the words into something much more powerful.

One truly talented band who have struck the right note with their interpretation of this largely underground genre are Listener, an Arkansas three piece fronted by emotive lyricist and bassist Dan Smith. Having last year performed in London at The Lexington, the American trio returned with a rare headline show at the better fitting Camden Underworld and proved that their music is best experienced live.

Bolstered by guitarist Christin Nelson and drummer Kris Rochelle, Smith’s distinctive delivery lay at the crux of the band’s explosive show. In trademark fashion, his often startling honest observations of human nature and taxing struggles were spat from physical convulsions that burst with conviction.

With Listener, it’s never as much of a show as it is a form of onstage therapy, as Smith’s stunningly chosen language continually minces over moments of pain and joy with a rare sincerity. At close proximity, the words can be seen to bubble and jolt out of him with such intensity that it’s difficult for an audience not to have an automatic connection with his frenzied tirades.

The show was not all doom, gloom and beard-stroking though - the serious edge was frequently softened by the camaraderie of their project. The band clearly has a brotherly bond and with that came an injection of quirky humour as offbeat jokes mixed with more serious moments. They very much invite you into their humanistic world during their shows, as optimism and reassurance mix with the darker topics. Smith is giving and has an endearingly awkward persona on stage, even taking the time to assure the transfixed crowd that the songs were “all for them”.

This personalisation meant that older releases “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” and “Wooden Heart” were greeted like old friends as devout fans yelled along in a cultist unison. The latter was no doubt the highlight of the night, as the simple guitar laced introduction allowed Smith’s most heartfelt speech to take centre stage. “It Will All Happen The Way It Should” also transported the captive crowd, with its rousing philosophies played out over swells of crashing percussion and distorted guitar chords.

Finishing on “Falling In Love With Glaciers”, an almighty applause confirmed that Camden witnessed something special. With every transportive track, it’s impossible not to listen to Listener, but live it’s also impossible to look away.

Setlist:

You Have Never Lived Because You Have Never Died
Good News First
There Are Wrecking Balls Inside Us
I Don’t Want To Live Forever
Wooden Heart
Not Today
I Think It’s Called Survival
You Were A House On Fire
Tornadoes
It Will All Happen The Way It Should
Falling In Love With Glaciers