Live: Rachel Zeffira

10th April 2013

The Deaf Institute

7/10

Best known as one half of pop duo Cat’s Eyes, whose debut album captured hearts in 2011 with its gauzy melodies, reminiscent of pop groups of the 1950s and 60s, Rachel Zeffira is now fast establishing herself a solid solo artist. From the first notes of spine-tingling opener ‘The Deserters’, there is no doubt Zeffira can handle herself on her own. She showed off her talent as a multi-instrumentalist as she maneuvered her way around the cramped stage, giving each song its own distinct identity, with her classical roots ringing through on ‘The Deserters’, before the psychedelic groove of ‘Here on It’.

Shortly before Zeffira’s set, the night was kicked off by up and coming Manchester band OSC, who, despite their relative inexperience on stage, managed to wow the crowd with a sound bringing to mind a jam session between ‘XTRMNTR’-era Primal Scream and Neu! Certainly a band to watch out for in the future.

Originally a classically trained opera singer, Zeffira bellowed out mournful melody after melody from debut solo album The Deserters, executing each song perfectly on stage. The voices of Zeffira and her backing singers echoed through the small venue throughout, making for an incredibly intense performance, despite the somewhat subdued atmosphere from the crowd. Although if she continues writing songs and playing shows of this quality, there is no doubt the bigger crowds will follow, providing the electric atmosphere she deserves rather than this ghostly Deaf Institute show.

Included in the set was a cover of My Bloody Valentine’s ‘To Here Knows When’ which was beautifully composed, turning Kevin Shields’ song about a self-described orgasm into her own shimmer of intimacy, making the song completely her own, with vocal and piano harmonies taking the place of the fuzzy ambiance of the original. This, along with blinders such as the upbeat groove of ‘Break the Spell’, clearly presented Zeffira’s hugely impressive talent as a musician. Ending the show with just a modest smile to the audience before swiftly departing the stage, followed by her excellent backing band, Zeffira appears shy, but clearly has real confidence in her ability.