Crack

Washed Out’s gig at the Thekla was probably reflective of the perils of doing a tour smack bang in the middle of festival peak time.

On paper there was no reason this shouldn’t have sold out. Washed Out’s latest record Within And Without has been lauded as one of the finest debuts around at the moment, figurehead Ernest Greene earning fans in the right places from Alex Petridis to Lauren Laverne. Plus, he’s fleshed out his live show to incorporate a full five-piece effort, far removed from the drummerless synth fest Crack witnessed at 2010’s Dot-To-Dot Festival.

Yet from the off the gig feels like a tricky exercise in live transference. The blissed-out haze on the record has been beefed up, but in the process the soft synths and many of the beautiful subtleties on Within And Without have been lost. The whole thing lacks that ethereal beauty that lets the sound of Washed Out wash over you, and it feels like Greene et al are simply rolling out the tracks verbatim.

A couple of technical issues and a lack of interaction from the band add to the issue, and bring to the fore the obvious fact that these songs weren’t created with the live arena in mind.

The sound is full however, and the brilliance of some of the record’s highlights are made entirely apparent. Amor Fati and Eyes Be Closed are expansive and emotive and vocally, the distorted sound Greene employs to make his voice seem distant transfers really well.

But there is just something missing. Maybe Washed Out’s hazy odes are less poignant in the belly of a dark boat? Maybe the half-full venue is responsible for the lack of atmosphere? Or maybe Washed Out is simply one of those acts that struggle to transfer the magic of their records into a dynamic a vibrant live performance.

An act with no lack of potential and great songs, Washed Out will certainly enjoy better live experiences than this.




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