Nation of Language Treats Seattle’s Crocodile To Aurial Ambience Of Synth Pop (SHOW REVIEW)

Photo by Dominik Friess

Nation of Language recently played two sold-out shows in support of their new album, Strange Disciple. Playing at the new version of Seattle’s storied Crocodile, the band treated fans old and new to a rollicking, joyful show, an exuberant escape from the world around. The Brooklyn-based trio played with a fun and unselfconscious stage presence that is at once fun, engaging, and nostalgic. They ran through 16 songs, including some that had only been released this week, and had people bouncing up and down joyously throughout. 

Opening with one of their bigger hits, “On Division Street,” they immediately grabbed the crowd. People enthusiastically sang along as lead singer Ian Richard Devaney danced around the stage and keyboardist Aidan Noell rocked out behind her synthesizers, with bass player Alex MacKay holding down the rhythm – and his side of the stage – with a minimalistic swaying dance. The band seamlessly brings together many of the sounds of early 1980s new wave, crafting an aural ambiance that would easily fit into any episode of “Stranger Things” while still sounding fresh and new. Indeed, talking to others in the crowd, this reviewer landed on their sound is best described as a mashup of Yaz and (early) Depeche Mode, with Devaney’s voice recalling a mix of Morten Harket (of a-ha fame) and Tim Booth (of James). In short, Nation of Language build on the shoulders of giants – but they manage to do so without being annoyingly derivative but instead, delightfully refreshing. 

The show included songs from across their three studio albums, including a few new ones from Strange Disciple, which is set to be released in September. Humorously, Devane stopped the band midway through one of those new tunes, “Weak In Your Light,” noting that something was off (something apparently his bemused bandmates hadn’t caught, as they proceeded to discuss). While they returned to the song later in the show and nailed it, the performance generally was super tight. Indeed, the chemistry in the band is unmistakable and engaging, and easily part of their appeal. At one point, Ian was playing the keyboard alongside Noell and leaned over to plant a spontaneous kiss on her cheek; after the song, she coyly told the audience that it had been their first kiss (highly unlikely, given the two have been married for years, but very endearing). That chemistry, along with new bassist MacKay, provided an engaging and consistent backbone for the well-crafted songs for which Nation of Language has become known. 

Highlights of the show included not only hit singles such as “Wounds of Love” and “The Wall & I” (with its guitar riffs reminiscent of The Cure) but also new releases “Sole Obsession” and “Stumbling Still.” Of particular note was the ethereal entre to the first number of their encore, “Former Self.” Devane walked onstage with just his guitar to begin the song, his mournful vocals building through a hazy mist before he was joined on stage by his bandmates. The song built in intensity, the crowd rising with it, to its culmination – which led right into crowd-pleasing “September Again” before wrapping the show with the energetic, driving “Across That Fine Line.”

Nation of Language is still a relatively young band, but the combined strength of their songwriting and live show suggests they’ll be around for a while. Take this opportunity to see them while they’re still playing in smaller venues. 

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