It’s been six years since Azure Ray’s last album, Hold On Love (2003), and accompanying tour. While they played a couple of one-off gigs in 2009 before heading into the studio to release their recent (and excellent) album Drawing Down the Moon (2010), this is the first expansive outing from Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink since they disbanded in 2004. Azure Ray fans have been eagerly anticipating their return, despite the lengthy wait. Taylor and Fink certainly delivered in many ways on Sunday at the Independent, but at times their musical weaknesses (lack of experimentation, crowd connection and risk-taking) became particularly apparent in the live setting. Even so, it was a thrill to see them back together again. The show was a night of real emotional catharsis, and a great way to bring Taylor and Fink back into the indie music fold.
About 150 people gathered to see Azure Ray on Sunday. Having gone to many concerts at the Independent, I was puzzled by how small the audience was. I used to think the Independent was a relatively intimate space, but on Sunday it seemed vast and expansive. I’m afraid the decreased size of the crowd had an effect on Taylor and Fink, as they shied away from any real audience communication until the penultimate song (“Rise”) of their 80 minute set. It was quite awkward for fans who were so excited to see them play to get little to no response back from the band. One advantage, however, to the lack of discussion was it allowed audience members to really get into a calm, trancelike energy state that almost verged on meditation. While Azure Ray has always released minimal and haunting music, having an uninterrupted set of such seemed novel and rewarding.
The band drew heavily from their most recent album Drawing Down the Moon. A highlight of the selection from Moon was “Don’t Leave My Mind,” the record’s first single. Gone was the electronic drum kit that starts the song, and in its place were beautiful atmospheric guitar lines and incredibly tight harmonies. It was clear that Fink and Taylor love playing this song, as they delivered the lyrics with warmth, conviction and gentleness. In many ways, the song is the closest to a pop single as Azure Ray has ever written, but in its new stripped down arrangement, it not only fits perfectly into their set but rather elevates the show by displaying the band’s musical progression. “On and On Again” and “Make Your Heart” were also great choices from the album.
The standout performance of the evening was a seemingly impromptu performance of their amazing song “Rise,” from their superlative debut album Azure Ray (2001). They performed this solo on guitar, and Maria claimed it was one of her absolute favorites to perform, but that they rarely brought it out live. Hearing this, and then witnessing the subsequent flawless execution of the song, made the concert seem quite special. Their interaction with the audience before the song was comical and refreshing, and the ease with which they delivered “Rise” was pretty astounding for not having road tested the song for quite some time.
It is pretty apparent that Taylor and Fink still are working out a lot of the kinks of their live show, and that is certainly understandable since they haven’t really played a full tour as Azure Ray in six years. With some attention paid to varying the set list with some more dynamic choices from their back catalog, they could retain the minimal ambiance and emotional starkness of their sound while still offering moments to take a breath and sing along. Also, with more significant audience interaction, they could not only regain but rebuild a fan base that will continue to come out to see them live on the next legs of their tour. Their voices have certainly never sounded better, and their arrangements are truly spot-on. I anticipate catching their next show in San Francisco, but may wait until they release some more material first.
