A Brief Smile @ Knitting Factory: Louder Than Bombs

With all the planning, hoopla and overall good time associated with our Spring Fling back in March, I failed to post a proper review of the show. Without a doubt, one my personal highlights of the evening was finally getting the chance to see NYC's very own, A Brief Smile, in the flesh. I've been going on about this 5-piece for some time now (read The Music Slut's interview with the band here). After stunning our Spring Flingers with their bombastic yet shoegaze-y sound, I couldn't wait to check out the band's Knitting Factory debut last night.

Focusing primarily on their upcoming EP, due out this summer, the band performed a whirlwind of a set, demonstrating their unique hybrid of harmony & dissonance for the better part of an hour. In spite of the bevy of new tunes, their debut short-player wasn't completely ignored; the band opted for 'Kitchen Floor' as the lone track to be performed from '06's R.E.S.T. (MP3 below). With a sound that falls somewhere between Mogwai's Young Team, Spiritualized's Ladies & Gentlemen... and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, it's no wonder that A Brief Smile is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite local acts.

A Brief Smile will be opening the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted-curated show next Saturday night at The Delancey. More info on that gig can be found here.

Check out A Brief Smile's MySpace page for tunes, photos and further glowing reviews.

MP3: A Brief Smile - Kitchen Floor (via Free Indie)