Hume at Bottletree 9/8/12 via You Hear This?
Hume is an energetic, indie, progressive-pop four-piece with dreamy lyrics. From the Sockets record label, the band consists of two drum kits, bass, a synthesizer, and very little guitar use. The heavy bass did them well though; their songs hit you in the chest the way a rock show should. Their set included complex elements of math-rock, but kept things whimsical enough to hold everyone’s attention.
Hume is based in Baltimore; they ventured North after becoming dissatisfied with the DIY scene in their hometown of Washington D.C. Since 2005, they have endured many changes in members, starting out as a solo project, and transitioning to an experimental improv group before dwindling down to their current lineup. Their elements of noise, static, and reverb enables them comparable to the likes of Animal Collective, Tame Impala, and Moving Targets… especially with tracks like “Grip” and “Inverse Fireworks.” The song “Phasing,” was a definite highlight of the evening, with philosophical lyrics and some slightly tribal moments. The song was written on a farm in Argyle, New York. Lead vocalist, Britton Powell has a voice that resembles a soothing and breathy version of Thom Yorke in Radiohead’s Amnesiac era.
I had listened to Hume through their Bandcamp page, but had yet to see them live. They are an extremely engaging and dynamic group, and their sound was a lot bigger and louder in person, but still trance-y enough to teeter between post-rock and light shoegaze. I couldn’t help but feel like I was secretly looking in on an intense, experimental basement recording session with Powell’s effortless and seemingly improvisational chanting and Peter Tran excitedly travelling back and forth between playing guitar and synthesizer. The band’s serious content, yet approachable demeanor captured the crowd in a contagious sway for the duration of the show. Although there was not many in attendance, the few that were there were highly impressed; I noticed more than a few patrons snapping multiple shots of the band with their phones. The band was humble and gracious, smiling during their entire set and even performing a two-song encore. Powell spoke a bit between songs about his time exploring downtown Birmingham, calling our city “a very inspiring place.”
