Concert Review: Slenderbodies Give Weight To Simplicity At Rough Trade

Slender signifies delicately thin or gracefully slim, while body means girth and weightiness. For slenderbodies at Rough Trade, matching these two opposing energies felt like a higher calling. The key is to never presume simplicity is not abundant.

With bright psychedelic colors whirling around them in the backdrop, tracks like “lucid”, “pink hue”, and “amnesia”, felt like sonic lava floating in a lamp. You watched as their melodies changed shapes and even colors just to remain confined in a singular message: be mindful of your mindfulness. Yes, “the game” of mindfulness has been upped. No longer is it enough to be “woke”; now you have to work to stay awake. This could explain why their songs felt simultaneously frail and elegant.

You would not think a shard of glass is gorgeous, but when you realize that it once was apart of a greater vase, it moves you to know beauty comes in pieces. Yes, I know I just got really deep and symbolic, but it is hard not to do that with or use parable to describe slenderbodies. I do not even think these guys know how rich their music feels, and how wealthy in thought and calm you become when “gray” or “anemone” start to play. I can compare their concert to reading a good book on a sunny beach; as the magic of nature surrounds you, their stories/ songs fulfill you. Surprisingly, Max and Ben are two of the most amiable, relaxed guys; simply wanting you to sway and clap along.

On one hand, you feel surprised that such vivid, nourishing soundscapes could come from a pair you could TOTALLY hang out with at a bar. Yet, on the other hand, it makes sense. Working “harder” does not mean better results; it is working wiser that leads to greater accomplishments, i.e. their stellar cover/ recent release of MGMT’s “Electric Feel”. With Max’s voice spilling forward like sweet milk over Ben’s honeyed guitar rhythms, slenderbodies is the show you see when you want your soul to feel still and simply while you mind gets to run and play in vision. For More Information On slenderbodies Click Here.