In this day and age when Fleet Foxes top best-of-decade lists and Grizzly Bear crack the Billboard 200, it feels like it's only a matter of time before The Low Anthem take over the world themselves. This was never demonstrated better than at a packed concert at Shepherd's Bush last Thursday, which found the Rhode Island-based group - who recently grew from a trio to a quartet - in absolute top form, performing a nearly flawless mixture of traditional American folk songs, new songs, and the majority of 2009's very fine album Oh My God Charlie Darwin.
Despite the size of the venue - Shepherd's Bush can fit almost 2,000 - the mood of the concert was warm and intimate, perfectly suited for the simple beauty and elegance of the group's songs. And though the band's songwriting strengths shone through - "Charlie Darwin" and "To Ohio" were two of the best tracks released last year, while new songs "Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From?" and "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" were equally absorbing and fully realized - it was the group's abilities as musicians that was truly breathtaking. The four members switched instruments nearly every song - no small feat when you consider that their instrumentation included not only guitar, harmonica, and drums, but also pump organ, upright bass, crotales, clarinet, and horn - and breathed out remarkably gorgeous four-part vocal harmonies without breaking a sweat. By the time the group pulled out their closer, "The Horizon Is A Beltway" - which on the album is explosively jarring, but here served as a rousing barnburner - they had cemented themselves not only as a nearly perfect live act, but had also sealed their upcoming album as one of the most anticipated of this year. Grizzly Bear had best watch their back.
Concert score: 94
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