Camera Obscura

After years in the shadow of fellow Glaswegians Belle and Sebastian, the release of Camera Obscura’s new album “Lets Get Out of This Country” has given them a chance to finally step forward into the limelight and show the world they are one of Scotland’s finest exports since Urusei Yatsura, Arab Strap and The Delgados.

Tracyanne Campbell has a gorgeous voice and it sounds even better live than on record. On songs such as current single “Lloyd I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken” she sounds like a sixties pop starlet straight out of a recording session with Phil Spector and on more gentle numbers such as the beautiful “Country Mile” Campbell opts for a more longing, aching vocal that melts the strongest of hearts.

There’s no escaping from the fact that when you mention Camera Obscura people immediately think of twee indie pop and all of its associated items. However there wasn’t a cardigan in sight at this gig as the hot summer night led to a sweltering auditorium in Norwich Arts Centre - a venue the band commented on as being one of their favourites. You sometimes get the impression that bands make throwaway comments like this on every night of their tour to win the audience over, although in Norwich I’m inclined to believe them, I’ve certainly not been to a better venue in the country that the Arts Centre.

Campbell commented that “the sound is so good here we were thinking of doing the rest of our tour here and just bringing busloads of people in from other cities”. The combination of the venue’s brilliant acoustics and the performance the band produced would certainly suggest it worth the hefty bus fare if such an idea ever came to fruition.

The set focused heavily on the band’s recently released third album although the occasional crowd pleaser from the previous two efforts were thrown in now and again. This healthy mix of songs led to a varied and entertaining set that left everybody with a smile on their face.

It’s time for the lazy Belle and Sebastian comparisons to be put to one side and for people to start taking more note of the great work and shows Camera Obscura are putting on. Yes they are Scottish and feature boy/girl harmonies, but Camera Obscura aren’t mere Belle and Sebastian copiers, they create a unique sound of their own, more charming than their fellow Glaswegians. So with Camera Obscura it’s a bit less The Boy With an Arab Strap and a bit more the girls and boys with the indie world at their oyster.

FUTURE GIGS