The Besnard Lakes are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec whose name comes from Besnard Lake in North-Central Saskatchewan. They were formed in 2003 by the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, the band these days also includes Kevin Laing, Gabriel Lambert, and Sheenah Ko. They released their seventh studio album `The Besnard Lakes Are the Ghost Nation` last October and are over in Europe for a dozen dates in celebration of this release with tonight being the ninth show.
First up this evening were The Thorn (formerly Large Plants) from London who play psych-tinged heavy folk-rock with nods to jazz and soul. The Thorn are Jack Sharp (Wolf People), Paul Milne (Hanging Stars, Green Seagull), Itamar Rubinger (Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats), Naomi Randall. They played a delightful thirty five minute set where Jack and Naomi took turns to sing lead vocals on the tracks showcased tonight and also shared supporting harmonies. The band opened with `Anchor` and others that resonated with me were `Whirlpool`, `In Your Own` and `La Pernette`. They have two singles `Fountain` and `Of The Birds` which was released the day before the Birmingham show. The other number that rung home was `The Thorn` which like their other tracks enjoyed a guiding drumbeat and some intricate guitar chord riffs. This quartet were a real cut above the usual support acts that are drafted in to underpin touring bands. Their sound is akin to Pentangle in their prime and Fairport Convention when Sandy Denny was with them. Indeed Naomi`s ethereal and tender voice did feel almost otherworldly. I`m sure there`s an album due and I can only say, if you get the opportunity to catch this band live, you`ll be richly rewarded.
Before we know it this Canadian quintet are on stage and head straight into `Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt. 1: The Ocean` which segs into `Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt. 2: The Innocent` which felt like a kind of ten minute astral journey. The rhythmic `Devastation` follows before the band share a couple of numbers from the latest release whose title refers to the notion of Canada becoming “the 51st American state” with the shimmering `Calling Ghostly Nations` and `Carried It All Around` which examines the emotional burdens we bear and the courage it takes to let them go.
`Blackstrap` and `Raindrops` from 2021`s `The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings` created after the death of Jace`s father are aired before heading back in time for `Albatross` and `People of The Sticks`. Jace takes time out to say hello and explain that Olga is seated tonight as she broke her ankle in Vermont before Christmas on ice and didn`t want to miss or cancel the shows.
The group return to the new release with the skewered `In Hollywood` with lyrics that explore ambition and ownership and the trippy `Chemin de le Baie` or Bay Path , way or road inspired by a band member’s blissful, mild drug experience in Monterey.
The show progresses with a trip through the band`s back catalogue before closing out with the questioning `And You Lied To Me`. As the venue was sold out and rammed to the hilt, the band decided to stay where they were and played what was in essence their encore of `Silver Shadows` which took us on an almost cosmic auditory voyage.
Tonight`s show run to almost two hours and was a truly immersive experience with numbers that were at times delicate and fragile but always engaging. There were elements of psychedelia, shoegaze, dream pop and experimental noise and times to me the group sounded a little like the Flaming Lips. I have to admit it was a little overwhelming, humid, and almost overly full and I was suffering from a touch of sciatica so can honestly say that I enjoyed this experience much more on reflection than when physically present. A big thanks goes out to my mate Nigel from Coventry who kindly sorted the tickets out and if you`ve never seen The Besnard Lake I’d encourage you to catch them in a live situation as they have to be really seen and experienced to comprehend the exquisite beauty they behold.
Photos Nigel Latham
