The Depreciation Guild are a four piece electronic, chip-tune, ambient, dream pop, shoegaze, indie rock outfit from Brooklyn, New York embarking on their second tour of the UK. They are a bit of a favourite here at Spotisfaction Towers and having unfortunately missed them on the first tour due to unforeseen circumstances I was glad to have the opportunity to catch them this time around.
Support came in the form of local band Vixens. This up and coming band from Oxford Brookes University play an alternative indie post-rock blend that is at times reminiscent of Joy Division and at others more like Editors. The audience was small and not many seemed interested in the support act, but Vixens performed their set proficiently. The sound wasn”™t particularly original but it was good display of dark atmospheric rock. Perhaps, though, the performance was a little uninspired due to the small crowd.
Unfortunately the crowd didn”™t swell too much for the Depreciation Guild, but those that were there watched with rapt attention. Opening with Sky Ghosts and gliding through a set list comprised mostly of songs from the band’s second album, Spirit Youth, culminating in a rendition of Dream About Me, this was a performance of almost serene beauty.
This isn”™t music that will tear down the walls of Jericho, but is more likely to lift up over them or make them ephemeral so you can drift through in a dream like state. The vocals were much lower in the mix than on their recordings giving the whole show a much more shoegaze, dream pop feel. The band coasted through their set almost in a dream world of their own. There was little direct interaction with the crowd, rather they let the music speak for them, the lyrics floating whimsically out into the room overlaid with bright guitar chords and lilting, woozy synth filled melodies. The entire thing is trance like and you feel yourself swaying as the music washes over you as you drift through a sea of mellowness.
This was the perfect end to a lazy Sunday with only the thought of the journey home breaking though the reverie at the end of the concert.
