PHOTOS: NICK NEMPHOS | On Friday night, veteran act Camera Obscura brought their dreamy indie pop to an adoring crowd at the 9:30 Club. It was a show with few surprises and a couple of standout songs, but one that fulfilled the longing of fans to bask in lead singer Tracyanne Campbell’s beautiful, distinctive voice and to sing along to the band’s familiar love songs.
If you’re a fan of indie pop, or beachy, breezy pop with a little soul, or catchy pop songs with a strong brass section, or any combination of the above, you’re going to enjoy a Camera Obscura show. It doesn’t hurt that all Camera Obscura songs sound exactly like Camera Obscura. While each record might lean on electronics or add an orchestral arrangement or stronger beats, the underlying vibe backed by Campbell’s incredible voice remains constant.
For other bands, that could be their downfall. But with Camera Obscura, it is exactly what has kept fans around after five studio albums spanning more than a dozen years—and it’s why the 9:30 Club was packed on Friday.
The crowd leaned older than many 9:30 Club shows. And just three songs into the set, when the Glasgow-based band dove into “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” the title track of their 2006 breakthrough album, the cheering and singing made it clear that the audience was made up of longtime fans.
It’s always fascinating to see how songs like this—eight years old and filled with nostalgia, the lives of fans often drastically different from when the track was first released—stand up to time. On Friday, they played the song a little faster and more upbeat than the recorded version. And whether it was perception or fact, Campbell seemed less dreamy and more decisive, making a declaration about leaving instead of a tentative thought about a new direction. It was a stronger version that managed to feel relevant instead of outdated.
Musically, Camera Obscura’s live show excelled at the details—a single beat on a wooden block, one or two or three tambourines, a few notes of trumpet, the addition of a triangle for just one song. Each piece of each song felt composed and meaningful, and every one of the seven musicians on stage knew their role throughout. The band was in sync and strong, on new and older, simpler and more intricate songs alike.
Their performance was a different story, however. Whether it comes from their Scottish origins or is inherent in their personalities, the band was not charismatic on stage. Even Campbell remained nearly expressionless while singing, despite the heady love songs that saturate their catalogue. This was particularly striking at the beginning, but mattered less as the set went on, the music took the spotlight, and the audience started dancing.
The biggest surprise of the night and the one exception to the rule was trumpet player Tim Cronin, who is playing with the band on the U.S. leg of the tour. Cronin made his presence known from the first song, when he picked up his tambourine. Smiling and dancing his heart out at the back of stage, he seemed excited and happy just to be up there, picking up every beat and every moment of joy in the music. With that level of exuberance, it was difficult for fans to pry their eyes off him. It wasn’t until nearly a third of the way through the set that Cronin abandoned his tambourine and picked up his trumpet—the real reason he was on stage. An extraordinary player, the extra brass added depth and emotion to the music.
Trumpet is often featured on Camera Obscura’s albums, although its presence is felt less on their most recent album, 2013’s Desire Lines. But it would have been a mistake to tour without a trumpet player this time around. The presence of the instrument live was the unexpected highlight. This was true even on songs that feature trumpet on the album version, such as “French Navy;” the live version brought the music to another level.
The set ended with a slow, winding version of “Razzle Dazzle Rose.” Cronin kept the melody throughout the song, low and melancholy, as Campbell’s voice wistfully built up the pace. While Cronin held on, the musicians built into a sudden cacophony, playing off each other, pounding their instruments, until the trumpet player could hold out no more and the song and the show was over. It was a rousing ending to a sweet and lovely show.
Just as sweet was the opening set by country singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell. Cantrell is touring with Camera Obscura in support of her newest release and sixth full-length studio album, No Way There From Here. On stage with only her guitar and accompanist and guitarist Mark Spencer, Cantrell’s stage presence was unassuming. But her music is anything but. She played a combination of folk and country songs, her Southern-twinged voice revealing her Nashville roots and soothing the small but attentive crowd.
Cantrell’s music might not be obviously innovative, but it is the product of a skilled musician writing and singing the songs she knows and loves. She accompanied most songs with a brief story, lending meaning and context. From her surprising relationship with UK DJ John Peel to her tribute to country artist Kitty Wells, the brief set exposed a bit of insight into a talented artist. It was the perfect way to start the evening, her music and harmonies with Spencer providing solace and comfort, bringing the audience into the space and separating the evening’s show from the chaos of the work week.
