It’s absolutely no secret-Atlanta’s own One Hand Loves The Other are responsible for what, thus far, is my most-played album of this year (neck and neck with Arcade Fire, yes, but, c’mon, that’s no small accomplishment). Their slowly-becoming-legendary live performances are, well, slowly becoming legendary (oh god, what writing! what journalistic craft!), as much for the way in which the band’s sweeping electo-orchestral compositions grow, swell and overwhelm with catharsis in a live setting as for the “oh holy crap, he can actually do that!” effect Lou’s voice has on everyone the first time they hear the band.
This past Saturday night, playing an all-too-short set at Decatur’s Wordsmiths Books, they were utterly, completely enrapturing.
The intimate space of Wordsmiths Books’ cafe/stage area lent itself perfectly to the sky-bound sound of One Hand Loves The Other. Their set was way too short (about five songs), but what mattered most to me was that they climaxed the whole thing with what’s become my favorite song on their debut album, “Rubbernecker Nightingale”.
One Hand Loves The Other: Rubbernecker Nightingale
That’s the studio version, which is still mind-blowing in the way that it wraps its’ catharsis around instrumentation, letting Lou’s pleas actually carry the song up and out and over to the end.
It’s pretty much brilliant, they’re pretty much brilliant, and there’s now been talk of a remix disc of the self-titled’s tracks before the end of the year.
Short and to-the-point? I hope so. This is stuff your ears need, by any means necessary.
One Hand Loves The Other’s myspace-for more music, live dates, etc.
Related Entries