Nick Diamonds - Small Feet -- DC9 - Sep 13 2015

Small Feet - You know the expression... small feet, big songs. This may be a simple Swedish duo of vocals/guitar and drums/electronics, but the sound is strong and the songs are amazing. So this quiet little set delivered as well as any full bodied, well amped major league band on a big stage. The guitar work is simple, but smart; the drums steady with one hand ready to control some electronic synth backing. The vocals are key as he sounds a lot like Neil Young, if Neil could really sing. But there is almost a Wire like vibe to the music, although it is hard to fully place. And with lines like 'unicorns are fun, they're as evil as they come', it is hard not to focus in like a laser on these songs. There is a  bit of folk, a solid dose of pop, and a week bit of Scandanvian progressive sound in this mix. It all comes together brilliantly thanks to the voice and songs of Simon Stålhamre. I hope a lot of the late arrivers were paying attention as this show started as about a dozen people and finished up with at least 50 in the room. I would think it will be much bigger next time as this album gets played more and more.

Nick Diamonds - This is the solo moniker of Canadian Nicholas Thornburn who seemes to have a new band every year or two, Islands being one of the more famous. He is here with a partner who joins him on synthesizer and vocals. This is classic synth pop on the majestic side of soul. The music is bold and crisp with interesting hooks and counters, while the vocals are filled with subtle twists and surprisingly he even reminds me a bit of H.R. on his quieter songs. The songs are interesting and this is all solid and agreeable to the large crowd. It is easy to dive in to this music, but the quality is there to keep you mind working full time. 

Quote of the Night: ND... "Let's give this Sunday a Wednesday feel (laughter), Tuesday?"
Crowd: "Thursday!"
ND "Thursday? Let's not push our luck."