Camera Obscura photos by C. Marcoux
After having seen Camera Obscura nearly four times now, we have come to the conclusion that when their show burns at full heat, then it is on; but that when the temperature cools and Ms. Tracyanne Campbell doesn't feel up to it that its spirit wanes to cool faster than gales on the shore of a chilly sea. We love the music that Camera Obscura creates, and so we have to wonder what brings them down when they have a gig that is too calm to bear repeating the very next night. Got the blues(?); or maybe the title of new album "My Maudlin Career" is to blame.
Seeing Tracyanne in full spirits for her show this past month in Brooklyn however, gave us pause and great hope for heat-filled shows in the future. Just, maybe, not two nights in a row. We had great live opening act Papercuts to blow our hair parts back and sing us folk-pop melodies of the highest order from their haunting new album "You Can Have What You Want", and then the fiery and lovely songs of Camera Obscura sang with an angst that we had never before witnessed (but were waiting wholeheartedly for) in the stormy atmosphere of previous performances for the "Let's Get Out Of This Country" tour.
What made this recent Brooklyn show so special? Was it the sparkle dress that Tracyanne wore that we were loving all the way down to her bowed and black patent leather shoes, and was it the attendance of band manager and top-notch pop musician Francis Macdonald in the audience, or, was it that she and the band were in just the mood to show us their rock moves? Either way, it was a winning night, and we're happy to have gone home with more magic than we can remember from their last tour and more hope that maybe it could happen again, in good faith. We want to see more shaking of the hair down to the guitar strings Tracyanne, and more full-hand tambourine shake-outs to the stage, audience, and sky! Repeat next season, maybe? A little more Razzle Dazzle Rose? Well, we can hope!
View the full Camera Obscura and Papercuts photo album of the show at Music Hall of Williamsburg by clicking here.
For the live Camera Obscura in-store sets at Other Music earlier in the afternoon, check them out by clicking here.
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