Concert Review: Bent Knee Connect Humanity To Nature At Rough Trade NYC
Family is the foundation of love, and perhaps the best musicians are ones that see their fellow band-mates like family. They share a synergy that goes beyond blood ties, and finds itself born from musical ones. Bent Knee at Rough Trade NYC was proof of something I always knew; music is the most powerful connector of humanity to itself and others.
Bent Knee is a 6 piece mini-orchestra with musicians that can outplay and outsmart the best of us. You have to have a foundation of intelligence when you make such beauties like “Being Human” and “Land Animal”. From their tracks alone, it is clear that Bent Knee are in tune with the connection between humanity and nature. The song’s imagery never fails to encapsulate that humans are not only on earth; but from her, as well. It is as if songs like “Holy Ghost” and “Terror Bird” were made with soil, water, and sun. There is not artifice or preservatives to their music, which is why I can only describe their genre as “experimental”. As a band and a set of talented human beings, the pride themselves on being indefinable. They are like the cool, artsy kids of your school that have creativity way beyonds their years/ high-school days. That feeling of being advanced for their time, comes from their lyrics being derived from wisdom. Bent Knee understands that to heal your heart, you have to protect it, as well. Your life’s wounds are not only caused from cuts by others, but also your inability to see and feel that your skin is worth guarding/owning. Setting that notion to violins, drums, keys, and chords that crackle and burn like firewood is what gives their music an earthiness that goes beyond “genre”; it is spiritual. Still, all this depth would be worth nothing if it were not for Bent Knee’s lightheartedness.
As mentioned, Bent Knee is a “family”, of which Courtney Swain is the sweetest, warmest, and even maternal leader. When you are singing songs that promote self healing/ wonder, of course, you are going radiate a vibe of peace. She has voice that makes serenity attainable, and even sparklingly attractive to the mind. Although everyone says they want “peace”, it seems too distant or “yuppy” to be realized. Yet, Swain’s voice is delicately casting like, a blanket being used to cover you when you are cold. Seeing all of them smile and chat with each other in between their masterful tracks emanated a welcoming serenity. Morevoer, it assures Bent Knee’s music, of which many songs will be released in their new, June 23 album, Land Animal, has a heartfelt wealth that everyone can relish. For More Information On Bent Knee Click Here.
