Gig Review: Armlock At The Lexington
Rueful and genre-bending: Armlock are ones to watch.
It has been said that Armlock play music for having your head in the clouds, a statement that’s hard to disagree with when you hear them play like they did the other night. Returning to the scene with an unreleased song and their biggest hits from the last two years: they’re a band that promises and delivers. Swinging back with their signature sound of 2000’s indie, almost-grungy yet light and electronic energy, these old friends put on a show that couldn’t be missed. The Lexington provided the best environment to see a band like this. Viewing platforms and swaying crowds enclosed in the upstairs of one of London’s favourite venues gave the audience a cosy and welcome foundation that the Mid-Western sound built on and solidified.
The emo vocals over a Boards of Canada sounding backing track brought the crowd alive for their standout track Ice Cold, an acclaimed piece from their album Seashell Angel Lucky Charm. With Lam vocalising and Mitchell on guitar, despite it’s clean sound, the band state that “We very much have a 'throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks' approach”. Whilst this may not be visible from the refined stage performance displayed by the duo, the music does a hell of a lot with a only a little, preferring detailed and precise instrumentation rather than a full-whammy or impenetrable wall of sound. The sparse arrangement throughout the tracks lent space and room to appreciate the harmonics of every instrument working in tandem to provide balace and subtle blend.
Armlock have long since proved themselves in performance and through the release of their last two albums. The excellent display of their sound to the London masses was a refreshing gasp of clarity for Indie Rock fans to enjoy, developing the ever expanding, much loved scene.
Playing an unreleased track for the crowd, with their newest song Half Time, Armlock further their sound with frayed guitar twangs and a midwest emo feel. Listening for the first time, all the signature tells of the band’s longing, yearning, and a kind of rueful innocence can be heard throughout. Ambitious and mysterious, genre-bending yet secure in it’s sound, it’s like Alex G… but good.
One to keep an eye on, Armlock have a bulwark of seriously devoted fans keen to fill out a venue, the Lexington being no exception. If you see tickets on sale, don’t risk the wait and get em while they’re hot.