Yndi Halda – Hoxton Hall, London 19/07/12

26 July 2012, 08:56 | Written by Adam Elmahdi

(Live)

If there’s one thing that defines a Yndi Halda fan, it’s patience. Not merely because one of their full-length, 90 minute sets consists of five songs in total, but because their work rate could be considered less efficient than your average local government department. But all this waiting around has not been for naught, for the Canterbury-based quintet have finally concluded that after eleven years, it’s about time they expand their published oeuvre to more than a single four song EP released half a decade ago.

So they announced two intimate shows at Hoxton Hall, a beautiful 145-year old music hall theatre, in order to fund the new album and also give their long-suffering fan base an all-too-rare chance to enjoy their incredible live performances. Needless to say, they didn’t disappoint. True, after almost a year of inactivity, they were a little rusty. The first couple of songs (which naturally constituted half the set) lacked polish, with the occasional off key note or rhythmic misstep. But when they got up to speed, they were unstoppable.

Some have argued that Yndi’s unreconstructed post-rock is a bit of a dinosaur in these modern times, with Mono moving in a more symphonic direction and Sigur Ros diversifying their sound, but there’s elements of evolution present in their new songs, including a greater emphasis on acoustic instruments and the introduction of vocals on certain songs. And to be honest, there’s no need to update the template when the band employs it so well.

Yes, it’s all soft-loud dynamics with huge squalls of cacophonous sound but Yndi Halda go to town with the whole thing, playing with a passion that makes most post-rockers look as dynamic as a breezeblock. At their best, they remind me of Arcade Fire in their early days, when every show was electrifying, when every song was delivered with a ferocious energy that made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, where you knew that despite the flaws and imperfections the band were giving it 110%, and it made you feel like you were witnessing something very special indeed.

Originality be damned, they’re a superb live band, and although expecting to see this fabled new album released within the next decade may be a fool’s errand, it remains a very exciting prospect indeed.