Confession; I have been building a mental dream team of female indie vocalists. Laura Stevenson, congratulations, you have a solid spot. This group consisted (prior to Thursday’s performance) of indie-folk badasses Sarah Jaffe and Sharon Van Etten. Their voices penetrate and galvanize, enlivening and depressing us with clever lyrics, dark humor, and indelible sound. My supergroup is filling up, and I would be so pleased to hear it, one day… A girl can dream.
“This one’s depressing,” Laura utters as Laura Stevenson and the Cans began playing a cutesy pop intro; folks unfamiliar with “The Healthy One” swayed and bobbed their heads in anticipation of a love song but received something akin to “Ring Around the Rosie.”
“Oh deary, your mother’s got a fever / And clearly your daddy’s gonna leave her / That leaves you with your little sisters, oh / And you know they didn’t mean to cut you / Just had to see if your blood was sick, too / And it’s clear with all the critters weakening your sisters / And your system’s running quick and not as sickly as you think / And you will live long / You will bury them all in the ground / And your body will grow / And you’ll bury them all.”
The Cans are a rippling lake from which Laura Stevenson explodes, breaking through the surface, belting out graced notes with ease just to softly sink back down. They were fluid and strong, moving perfectly together—imagine synchronized swimming—never once drowning each other out. The term “chemistry” has been shamelessly worn-out in reviews, but here it applies; LS&C sounded polished, they exchanged knowing glances and looked like a real fucking band. I would be confident in taking an exit poll for any shows they perform live.
Equipped with attacking wake-up beats, so clean and quick, in “8:08,” a beautiful indie-ballad (the type you sing alone in the car) they quieted the often rude backroom crowd at Black Cat. (Thanks chatty back corner assholes, there is a bar just outside the door, take your leave.) “I’ll be on my feet if you want me / I’ll be on my feet if you need / I’ll be on my feet if you want me to beeeeeeee!” (Some of the instrumentals in this song reminded me of Built to Spill, good alt guitar!)
Laura Stevenson flexes her strongest attribute, control, in “I See Dark.” Many female leads have tried to sound sweet and powerful, but often their end result is affected and forced. Laura Stevenson is who these leads want to be, an effortless force laced with raw sugar.
They return to the East Coast June 30th at Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ. Get on the bus.
