Members of the Maltese alternative scene gather at the Royal British Legion in Valletta to watch Hey Sus, a band we haven't heard from in a while, and Skimmed, who are launching their second album Summer Lovers.
Hey Sus are the opening act for tonight,
they build up the crowd with their fresh indie pop energy. Their sound is quite
different to the main act, providing a strong contrast to Skimmed’s darker
sound. They have certainly improved since their last performance; when will we
be able to hear an extended set from them? Hopefully very soon.
The British Legion in Valletta is an unremarkable setting in that it is so similar to the other venues chosen for live
performances by our local bands. The bands were perched on a small stage in the
main hall, a deep room with a barrel vaulted ceiling. Chandeliers provide a
sense of false grandeur, confirmed by the olive green curtains covering every
wall. This is the setting picked by Skimmed to launch their new album Summer
Lovers, setting a tone of grungy rock with elements of post-punk and dirty sexy
lyrics.
Alexandra Aquilina is the centre of
attention, literally, in the centre of the stage on lead vocals and
synthesizer, next to her is Daniel Borg on lead guitar. Frederico Cilia is the
band’s bassist, and Christopher Mercieca is their drummer. For the launch they
are also joined by Daniel Abdilla (from Clandestines) on another synthesizer, Michael
Galea also on drums, and Alex Alden and Rachel Tedesco Triccas as backing
singers. Everyone on stage looks like they belong to a 60s rock band, except
for Abdilla who looks like a member of a screamo/post-punk band.
Skimmed begin with ‘Ronnie’ and ‘Fingernails’,
songs that they released on Soundcloud, and follow with the album’s title track
‘Summer Lovers’. Each track follows from the previous seamlessly by retaining a
common tone: this grungy rock with a strong bass line and guitar, blending with
the rough and smooth vocals. It would be exciting to hear some of these tracks accompanied by a saxophone.
Alexandra’s vocals have improved since her performance at Sickfest. She is still sometimes off-key, but in her stronger moments she channels Karen O. The backing singers are also sometimes off-key, which makes me wonder if this is being done on purpose – and for most bands that would sound ridiculous, but with Skimmed the deliberate sloppiness is plausible. Skimmed isn't a finely-tuned operation. The sloppiness seems part of their appeal.
Skimmed play a cover of OMD’s ‘Enola Gay’
which introduces the darker half of the album. The use of the synthesizer gives
an 80s synth-pop sound, reminiscent of bands like The Cure and Erasure that
experienced a comeback recently.
Alexandra’s stage presence is sexy and energetic but at the same time contained, she has a short hemline but a high neckline. She channels the persona on the cover of the album, a girl in a hotel room with a man. The hall is heating up and people shed their outer layers, preparing for a bedroom duel with Alexandra.
Alexandra’s stage presence is sexy and energetic but at the same time contained, she has a short hemline but a high neckline. She channels the persona on the cover of the album, a girl in a hotel room with a man. The hall is heating up and people shed their outer layers, preparing for a bedroom duel with Alexandra.
Skimmed continue with ‘Ghost in the Mirror’, a strong track which picks up the eerie synth-pop sound combined with dark and sultry lyrics. As the third or fourth song to use the synth-pop style, ‘Freak Show’ is repetitive. However, Alexandra’s shouty vocals, reminiscent of Peaches, work well with the rest of the instruments to produce another dark song. They perform well together as a band and tighten up in their synchronicity as the performance advances. At midnight the crowd is well into it, swaying and tapping along to the beat. Some people indulge in a little head banging, but there is no mosh pit tonight.
The set continues with ‘Tiger Tiger’ and the band sustains their energy, which must be difficult despite their youth as the album is heavy and demanding. Their songs follow a pattern, beginning with a quiet intro which becomes louder and louder as it builds into an aggressive climax and finishing on that note. They continue to use the same synthesizer sound, which negates its effect by becoming monotonous and repetitive. Skimmed continue with a strong 80s vibe in ‘Devil’s Alibi’, where the changing bass line sounds a bit like the Black Keys until the drums overpower it. ‘Isobel’ is perhaps the darkest song yet, it moves towards a prog rock style but still it is more of the same. This track would fit well in the soundtrack to a neo-noir film.
They end on ‘Dream Girl’, a sweeter song which also ends the album.
Skimmed had a certain style in mind for ‘Summer
Lovers’, a style that carries through in the album artwork, with its strong
bold lines and sleazy hotel room photographs. The style also binds together the
tracks on the album, providing a common theme in the sexy sordid lyrics and
aggressive vocals, while the guitars and drums pull everything together as a
solid frame.
Photos: (1) Skimmed Facebook page (2) personal photo (3, 4) Skimmed website (5) personal photo
When: 23rd February 2013
Where: Royal British Legion, Valletta
Who:Hey Sus, Skimmed
Price: 7e
