Night Terrors of 1927 | Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA) | July 10, 2014 |
If there was a band that needed a full length album for sale after their show, it would be Night Terrors of 1927. Over half of their Troubadour set list is not available on their Guilty Pleas EP making it extremely difficult to relive songs during the drive home. Following the three-piece opener, Prides, having five people on stage seemed excessive. By the second song however, it seemed like there weren’t enough musicians up there that could create the full, rich sound that filled every dark corner of the room. Frontman Jarrod Gorbel and guitarist Blake Sennett’s indie rock roots (The Honorary Title and Rilo Kiley/The Elected, respectively) have all but melted away, or matured depending on how you look at it, into this dreamy electro-synth-pop configuration that includes a drummer and two female vocalists: one on keys, other on bass.
The highlight of the night was a toss-up between a well-known favorite, “Dust and Bones” and a gorgeous acoustic, “Shine.” Despite being classed as an “electronic” outfit, Night Terrors of 1927 isn’t afraid to slow things down, giving you room to breathe and hang on the peak of Jarrod’s falsetto. Looking out into the audience at times, especially during “Shine,” revealed a field of human grasses, swaying gently to the light breeze that was Jarrod crooning into the mic. The band followed that up with the incredibly sexy “Fall Into You” which invoked a decidedly more deliberate type of dance. Then rounding out the set was the anthemic “Always Take You Back.” The harmonizations and background vocals accented the melody beautifully, lifting voices over the drums on the way into a soaring guitar solo. It was the perfect way to end the sometimes broody set – with a ray of hope at the finish.
It’s always a good sign when a band can hold an audience in thrall, through the different moods and styles as their live show progresses. Judging from the rapt audience at the Troubadour, Night Terrors of 1927 is not going to let go anytime soon.