Delphic @ the Echo

June 27, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA

By Wei Shi

Delphic @ the Echo - Los Angeles, CA - June 18, 2010 - Photos and words by Wei Shi

Last Friday, Delphic drew in crowds for a show at The Echo, Los Angeles.

The Manchester electro indie band gathered hype last year with the release of a few singles through Kitsune and R&S Records. Their highly anticipated debut album, Acolyte, is set for US release on June 29th this year through Dangerbird Records.

It's fair to draw comparisons to the band from New Order to Bloc Party to Cut Copy, but it's undeniable that Delphic delivers a catchy and well produced piece of work on their new album. Chock full of tracks with title names of Greek origin I have trouble pronouncing, some songs feature traditional pop themes while others like "Acolyte" and "Ephemera" offer purely instrumental songs with touches of wordless vocalization.

Classy and stylish in buttoned up shirts, Delphic played to a packed venue. The dim lighting added to the moody atmosphere and they pleased the audience with favorites such as, "This Momentary," "Doubt," and "Counterpoint." With very little small talk in between songs, the band went through their set with a sort of deliberate intensity and "no-nonsense" attitude. The vocals and music were crystal clear and sounded just like the recordings.

Delphic's lyrics aren't necessarily anything to marvel about, but their delivery is what stirs feeling and pop appeal. Their lyrics are often simple lines regarding breakups but that's what makes them relatable. For instance, "Red Lights" includes the line, "If you were to call, I'd risk a second broken heart for you." Come on, you know the feeling. On the track "Counterpoint," James Cook repeats, "Just tell me nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong today." The coupling of these vulnerable lyrics to electronic music is refreshing. ~ Wei Shi

Click here to check out more pictures from the show!