BOROUGH COUNCIL + LINN KOCH-EMMERY + SOMETHING IN THE LAKE – THE SOCIAL, LONDON 19.3.24
Borough Council have been recommended to me on more than one occasion, not least by the Brighton & Hove News’ esteemed Music Editor Nick Linazasoro. Tonight I finally get to see them, and I can confirm right now that the recommendations were well deserved. However, we will return to Borough Council later. First we have the support acts to address, and it has to be said, they are also pretty damn good.
Something In The Lake are a London based five piece, two of whom are studying at the Guildhall School of Music. They boast three guitarists (count ‘em!), but one of them also plays a Korg synthesizer. The first song ‘Daylight’ starts off with a guitar pedal loop courtesy of guitarist Torin. It quickly becomes clear that Something In The Lake are all about atmospheric shoegaze. Indeed, there is a very definite My Bloody Valentine influence. I sincerely wish that I’d remembered my earplugs……
There’s some astoundingly good musicianship on display here, with nice interplay between the three guitarists. The drummer is particularly impressive and deploys some deft rim-shots during their single ‘Blind’. Having been extraordinarily noisy (albeit tastefully so) Torin surprises with some delicate finger-picking. It makes a marked change from his utterly searing lead guitar. This illustrates the light and shade in the band’s music. In general most of the songs have a somewhat dreamlike quality.
‘Blood Orange’ is a particularly interesting song. It definitely has the odd bar that has a different time signature. There is a beat dropped here and there. The drummer is again brilliant here. He has lots of interesting things going on. He achieves things that many bands would resort to programmed drums to do. Final song ‘Listener’ is the title track of their EP which was released on 23rd February. It features harmonised fingerpicking which is a highlight of the set. Something In The Lake are a very interesting band, well worth checking out, and have been a superb start to the evening.
Something In The Lake setlist:
1. ‘Daylight’
2. ‘Aa’
3. ‘Blind’
4. ‘Wun’
5. ‘Fire’
6. ‘Blood Orange’
7. ‘Listener’
Linn Koch-Emmery has flown in from Stockholm specifically to play a half-hour set at London Social, for which we should collectively doff our caps in her general direction. She has a band of English-based musician friends, who include bassist Josefine Jonsson from Los Bitchos, who like Linn is also Swedish. Linn’s music is punchy tuneful indie that is almost impossible not to dance to. The band are a much easier listen than Something In The Lake, but not quite as interesting. Then again, they’re a different kind of band.
Second song ‘Ebay Armour’ is about a date that Linn had in a Stockholm bar “with a very wealthy person.” He bought a fifty year old bottle of wine for 1400 Krona. I get the impression that Linn wasn’t overly impressed.
The lead guitarist doesn’t do a great deal of interest, although he does push the boat out occasionally. By and large though the songs don’t really demand any guitar heroics. Having said that, the songs have a definite spark. You really can’t not enjoy them. I’d definitely see Linn again, hopefully with the same band.
Linn Koch-Emmery setlist:
1. ‘Hologram’
2. ‘Ebay Armour’
3. ‘Colombian’
4. ‘Happy’
5. ‘Linn RIP’
6. ‘No Hands’
7. ‘Dirty Words’
www.instagram.com/linnkochemmery
Finally it’s time for Borough Council. Their arrival onstage almost redefines the term ‘low key’. Indeed, their whole performance is low key. It doesn’t need to be anything else. Their music really does do the talking. Before they start playing they get some special effects from a small synthesiser into action. However, once they start playing those are inaudible. They can be heard in between songs though, like a permanently detuned radio.
Borough Council’s music is gutsy post-punk with elements of shoegaze thrown in. They are a three piece so there is plenty of aural space between the instruments. Some of the vocals are sung off-mic which creates a sense of otherness. At one point guitarist and vocalist Haydn Ackerley produces some gorgeous reverb drenched fingerpicking. There’s plenty of reverb applied to his vocals too. The harmonies between Haydn and his brother Joe are exquisite and ethereal, as siblings’ harmonies often are. Joe is also responsible for some very nimble bass playing.
There’s a generally hypnotic feel to Borough Council’s songs that pulls the listener in. Their sound really is truly mesmerising. A few of the songs have decidedly angular time signatures and are powerful and motorik. There’s occasionally some nice distorted guitar slashing too. Final song ‘View’ is rather intricate and displays a nice sense of dynamics as it builds to a crescendo. Great things have been predicted for this Hastings trio. On tonight’s evidence, they deserve everything that they can achieve.
Borough Council:
Haydn Ackerley – guitar & vocals
Joe Ackerley – bass & backing vocals
Tom Healey – drums
Borough Council setlist:
1. ‘Prescribed’
2. ‘Casino’
3. ‘Stubbs Shut’
4. ‘Self Sacrifice’
5. ‘No Deuce’
6. ‘Victoria Count’
7. ‘Lynt’
8. ‘View’
www.instagram.com/boroughcouncil
