Following on from my overview of Toronto’s CMW for 2014, it’s time to get to the music. We start with one of the bigger shows of the week… New Zealand’s Broods headlining a night at the Drake Underground.
Supporting Broods on the night was Tennessee singer/songwriter Meg Myers, on the road promoting her new EP Make a Shadow, accompanied by a three piece band. The quartet jumped between the drums, strings, effects and guitars as they delivered a sound that one might call “alternative rock with a pop edge”.
I’ve read her compared to everyone from Evanescence to Alanis Morrissette, and that’s certainly justified, though as “Heart Heart Head” ended the set, with Myers screaming into the microphone, it was clear she is a force of her own, without an easy comparison.
Single “Desire” off her latest EP was one of my favourites of the set, with a great introduction (it’s clear why it’s the single, and the way she starts the EP). Meanwhile, earlier single “Monster” off her Daughter In The Choir debut EP also impressed.
I did mention in my overview of CMW earlier in the week that there weren’t the level of “buzz bands” at the festvival this year, but that certainly didn’t keep them out of the festival entirely. New Zealand duo Broods certainly fit this category, and saw a massive crowd attend their showcase at the Drake Underground.
Performing with a touring drummer, the brother/sister duo (Georgia and Caleb Nott) see the impressive, seductive vocals of Georgia supplemented by heavy beats, bass, synth and effects. “Never Gonna Change” opened the set, which helped introduce us to Georgia and her band, while it wasn’t long before Caleb added himself into the vocal mix as Georgia added herself to the keys. The set jumped between songs new and known, like “Sleep Baby Sleep”.
There was plenty of energy in the set, which Georgia admitted was “making me sweaty!”, so they slowed things down too, with a track “dedicated to all the couples out there”, which saw Georgia go solo with keys. A beautiful track. Single “Bridges” closed out the 45 minute set, which showed off a band with a lot of promise. The newer material was sounding great and only time will tell where they take the “buzz” from here…
