Avi Buffalo w/ Spectrals – Cargo, London 25/08/2010

Tuesday night at London’s Cargo – that dark, cellphone-receptionless cavern under the arches off Shoreditch High Street – and two of the current music scene’s revivalist ingenues are on the bill. While Louis Jones from Spectrals, up first, may physically be an ocean apart from Avi Buffalo‘s frontman Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg , they’re both gaining acclaim for their sterling musicianship (at equally tender ages) and original takes on genre sounds. While Zahner-Isenberg is bringing a new slant to the californian psych-slacker sound, Jones’ intriguing mix finds a place triangulated by Hank Marvin, Dick Dale and Phil Spector.

Jones is his usual deadpan self tonight but he’s clearly growing into the role of frontman. There’s humility and confidence in his between-song chatter where once there was only awkwardness and shy glances floorward. More importantly – and thanks to a largely lacklustre set from the headliners – Spectrals succeed in outshining Avi Buffalo on this occasion.

While Avi have the choruses and heaps more charisma, Jones and his band – now augmented by keys – roll out a classy set tinged with a whirling trebley nostalgia. It’s buoyant, weirdly fresh and full of life, particularly new single ‘Peppermind’.

Rather ironically, Avi Buffalo are without their keyboard player tonight – rumours abound that she quit only a few days prior – and having seen them play as a complete unit a few months back I can attest that the absence does subtract much from the set. Perhaps a real depth to the sound? Certainly the confidence that Zahner-Isenberg requires to carry the songs isn’t in evidence this evening. So instead of the smiles, charm and wide-eyed innocence of their debut London show, we get a shaky start via a bad sound mix. Opener ‘Summer Cum’ starts off messy and although its more-or-less put right by the end of the song, segueing immediately into ‘What’s In It For’ as the second number is a disarming move. I hold by the theory that the second song in any set is crucial to the success of of a show and knocking your best-known out is a dick move in my book – it’s a musical premature ejaculation. So while Zahner-Isenberg’s working twice as hard tonight to cover the absence of keys, there’s almost no expectation management – so crucial to really connect with the audience who seem entertained tonight but nowhere never overwhelmed.