Murky and elongated, the dream-rock of Softcult was always going to feel right at home in London’s Omeara. Off the back of their newest EP See You In The Dark, the Canadian duo played a sold out show in "maybe our favourite city in the world", vocalist Mercedes Arnhorn suggested from the stage.
But first, a mention to the mighty swim school. Their roaring anthem 'delirious' that calls out the alarming amount of misogyny in the music industry has been racking up the streaming numbers, with the distorted edge sitting nicely alongside the crystal-clear tones of love song 'don't leave me behind.' The Edinburgh trio are really beginning to cultivate a signature sound, with older anthems 'see red' and 'let me inside your head' growing into readymade hits in the live arena. New EP 'duality' will arrive in the summer, and it's merely a matter of time before swim school are selling out venues like Omeara themselves.
Astonishingly, the night marked just a second ever London appearance for Softcult, whose pull in the UK continues to grow in leaps and bounds. The vocal and sibling chemistry between Mercedes and [drummer] Phoenix Arnhorn is masterful, with harmonies that just set the tone for the whole night as they kicked off with 'Spit It Out' - where the riff break in the middle fully comes into its own.
Topically, Softcult have never shied away from addressing significant issues - and the crowd understood the sincerity of the band's message from the off. Accountability is at the heart of See You In The Dark, and this new material was received fantastically with 'dress' and 'Someone2Me' resonating around the room. This mutual understanding between crowd and band is a key ingredient of the Softcult live show - acknowledging the very real origins of these dark experiences and how live performance can serve as a vehicle of unity in the face of misogyny and violence.
Taking over the stage from start to finish with their glittering wall of sound, it's an exciting prospect to see where the band take their live show next as the rooms become more cavernous. 'House Of Mirrors' and 'Drain' were notable standouts, with the natural Deftones comparison coming into the spotlight with a tease of their iconic track 'Change (In the House of Flies)'.
The Arnhorn's admitted it certainly won't be as long before they're back in the UK, but until then it's time for See You In The Dark to have its deserved moment in the limelight and propel the duo onto further global stardom.
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