Concert Review: The Boxer Rebellion Bring A “Caribbean Murder Mystery Vibe” To Brooklyn
The Boxer Rebellion are currently on tour, and their Music Hall Of Williamsburg concert on November 3 proved that these guys are a MUST SEE! They may have played the late show at MHOW, but their music made me feel like the light of early morning. Luckily you can catch them on November 5 at Bowery Ballroom, but if you need more of a push to go, then read the rest of my review.
The Boxer Rebellion played music from their new album, Ocean By Ocean, with a huge blown out background of the album’s cover as seen above. The beautiful background/ cover is more important than you think, as the picture is a complete reflection of their sound: a colorful neon wave virtually encompassiing a beach of mountains and palm trees. Sometimes, in music, you can hear the images a band wants you to see, and in the case of The Boxer Rebellion: you do! They are like an 80’s wave of techno-rock that smoothly latches to the sands of your mind.
The Boxer Rebellion – Weapon (Official Music Video)//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js
First, I am crushing on Nathan Nicholson’s voice. It is like a bright falsetto, similar to the yellow hues of the album cover. For however, noir The Boxer Rebellion’s sound can get, Nicholson’s voice always adds a twilight of hope and love. Their newest songs definitely carry a darkened, Caribbean vibe mixed in with techno and synth-pop twinges. That may be hard to picture, but if you hear their songs like Weapon, as above, or Keep Me Close, like below, it comes off like a “murder mystery” set in the nightlife of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Amongst the heat of the starry night, The Boxer Rebellion sings and strings to the rollercoaster relationships that led to a fatal end. Alright, I know that sounds like a dramatic, yet intriguing film, but that is the image The Boxer Rebellion summons with their music. Nicholson’s vocals are similar to Sting in that their hints of rasp are subtle enough to contrast the highness of their range, which pulls you into the “film of sorts” that their newest album offers. Thus, the excitement of their concert is that from beginning to end, you feel like you are in THAT FILM!
Ocean by Ocean comes to life when you hear it live. This record is amazing, but when you see Nicholson and Andrew Smith synchronize their guitar melodies to meld with the frothy, dark bass of Adam Harrison you feel overpowered by a hued, wave of music. Add on Piers Hewitt ‘s bouncing drum and you cannot help but want to completely join the energy of the moment. Their concert/ this record makes you think you are 10 year old kid that just ate the biggest bag of candy: both full and sweetened. Moreover, their lyrics are detailed in the wrong and right choices that can both combust or elevate a couple. In this sense, their words help muster the “investigative murder-mystery” of their concert/ record. When your love life has such ups and downs, you can feel like a “full-on” detective trying to figure out why your relationships cannot be consistent and stable while also being exciting like, the Caribbean nightlife setting of they music. Still, you may have noticed that I keep on saying concert/ record in terms of how The Boxer Rebellion’s concert succeeds.
The Boxer Rebellion – Keep Me Close (Official Audio)//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js
There are times when a good concert is intertwined with a good album. I connect the excellence of The Boxer Rebellion’s newest tour with the fact that they have a phenomenal record that lends itself perfectly to live performance. The chemistry between their current roster and their already mastered concert prowess makes their show a worthy buy for those that are selective over whom they choose to see live. After, The Boxer Rebellion have been in the music business for a little over a decade, which means they have have experienced hit albums and tracks. Moreover, they are seasoned in knowing how to deliver the wealth of their sound to make their audience feel richer. For More Information on The Boxer Rebellion Click Here.
The Boxer Rebellion – Big Ideas (Official Music Video)//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js
