Camden Music: Camera Obscura

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The Review - MUSIC - grooves with CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 24 July 2008

Candid Camera

REVIEW: CAMERA OBSCURA
King’s College

IF there is one thing, apart from maybe whisky, and winter, and World Cup exits, that the Scots do well, it’s twinkly indie pop where guitars don’t have to be blasted out at top whack and are usually assisted by some brass and wind.
Think Belle & Sebastian. Think Aberfeldy. And think Camera Obscura, whose Thursday night out down the King’s College student union was a reminder of how underrated their thoughtful brand of folky melodies are.
London’s most melancholic music fans swooned and swayed along to the picks from the band’s first three albums.
New songs French Navy and Swans hinted the fourth will be just as good as what has come before – the words were unfamiliar but the magical mix of trumpet, carousel keys and acoustic guitar is unmistakable.
It might have all ended in disaster, mind.
Blame our student hosts but first the organ didn’t seem to plug in properly and the gang was late on stage, then there was a problem with frontwoman Traceyanne Campbell’s guitar and half an hour in the wilting drummer moaned about being fried by the bright stage lights.
It all picked up and not just for the camera-phone highlight of the cascading hit Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken. Campbell’s voice is so unique it stops you dead. She turns singing break-up blues into a mesmerising work of art.
During the encore, appeals for the band’s loving cover version of Abba’s Super Trouper were deflected. Fair enough. Camera Obscura deserve to be rated for their own songs rather than something from Mamma Mia.
RICHARD OSLEY

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