Out-migration is one of the more pressing socio-economic issues in Nova Scotia, but it's heartening to know that, some way or another, people often find their way back to us.
Each Other's night-ending set at the Seahorse for the OBEY Convention festival was one of those moments. There, standing across from each other on stage, were Mike Wright and Brad Lougheed, just like it was back when they were bandmates in Halifax scene staples York Redoubt and Long Long Long. Behind the drum kit was Christian Simmons, a familiar face to those in the crowd who remembered the Burdocks (the band that eventually spawned Dog Day). It was three former Haligonians, now living in Montreal, returning to an old haunt and sharing their new creations with old friends.
The homecoming focused mostly on material from Each Other's debut full-length,Being Elastic, released earlier this year on Lefse Records. It's a jittery, engaging collection of riffs and melodies, an ADD nostalgia trip with a juvenile feel thanks to Wright and Lougheed's nasal harmonies. (Think Beach Boys as filtered through Animal Collective.) That sense of playfulness was on full display last night as the trio emerged wearing towering black hats made from Bristol board, which somehow remained on their heads through the first several songs.
The band's sonic dexterity was impressive, staying tightly wound even as it flirted with outright jamming. Each Other's music, however, is better on the record: the sudden turns and out-of-nowhere flourishes felt disorienting when experienced in a physical space, and the vocals (which drive the record) got overwhelmed by the noisy noodles. Still, the crowd found its groove partway through the performance, creating a nice rhythm that the band fed off of as they wound the night to a close.
Each Other's night-ending set at the Seahorse for the OBEY Convention festival was one of those moments. There, standing across from each other on stage, were Mike Wright and Brad Lougheed, just like it was back when they were bandmates in Halifax scene staples York Redoubt and Long Long Long. Behind the drum kit was Christian Simmons, a familiar face to those in the crowd who remembered the Burdocks (the band that eventually spawned Dog Day). It was three former Haligonians, now living in Montreal, returning to an old haunt and sharing their new creations with old friends.
The homecoming focused mostly on material from Each Other's debut full-length,Being Elastic, released earlier this year on Lefse Records. It's a jittery, engaging collection of riffs and melodies, an ADD nostalgia trip with a juvenile feel thanks to Wright and Lougheed's nasal harmonies. (Think Beach Boys as filtered through Animal Collective.) That sense of playfulness was on full display last night as the trio emerged wearing towering black hats made from Bristol board, which somehow remained on their heads through the first several songs.
The band's sonic dexterity was impressive, staying tightly wound even as it flirted with outright jamming. Each Other's music, however, is better on the record: the sudden turns and out-of-nowhere flourishes felt disorienting when experienced in a physical space, and the vocals (which drive the record) got overwhelmed by the noisy noodles. Still, the crowd found its groove partway through the performance, creating a nice rhythm that the band fed off of as they wound the night to a close.
