Live Review: Brighton, MA @ Reckless Records 11/9/2008

At Brighton, MA's in-store performance at Reckless Records on Sunday, singer Matthew Kerstein (ex-Scotland Yard Gospel Choir) crooned through stripped-down rock and folk jams played to pop perfection, with the band's harder folk sensibilities occasionally shining through. But during “Underground,” as the song broke down into distorted guitar and reverberating beats, Kerstein-- a Chicago resident born in the band's titular city-- turned his back to the crowd to face his bandmates, a stance he assumed during most of the performance's louder moments.

Throughout the rest of the set, despite the in-store intimacy, the group avoided all direct contact with the few dozen patrons gathered in attendance, as if an invisible wall divided them. A few stubborn customers ignored the band, too, tuning out the good ol' boy folk rock entirely while browsing the Metal section near the stage.

Most songs from the hour-long set came from Amateur Lovers, the band's recently-released debut LP, and maintained the simple, down-home feel of the thoughtful lyrics that flow with a friendly ease on the album. Kerstein's throaty, coarse vocals ranged from playful, scattered atop plucky guitar arrangements, to gut-wrenching, layered with emotion above a fuzzy wall of sound. An early highlight was “Sunblinded,” with its twangy guitars and rich melodies.

Since the release of its self-titled, six-song EP last year, Brighton, MA's layered sound has moved beyond that of some of their folk singer-songwriter contemporaries, serving up tunes with a bit more meat on their musical bones. And the promise of touring in support of their first full-length release will hopefully provide Kerstein with the practice he needs to sharpen his stage presence; it'll serve the band well to look its fans in the eyes. 

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