Concert review: mmeadows at The Grey Eagle
It takes some guts to cover “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Written by the almighty Purple One and delivered to the world in an emotionally devastating performance by Sinead O’Connor in 1991, it’s a song defined by a singularly legendary rendition that will never be topped. And yet, at The Grey Eagle on Nov. 14, in front of a humble Monday night crowd, mmeadows capably pulled off its own take on the pop classic.
The relatively new Brooklyn duo consisting of Kristin Slipp and Cole Kamen-Green may not be on your radar just yet, but give it time. For the past decade, the pair of talented multi-instrumentalists have been members of the overlooked experimental pop ensemble Cuddle Magic. In addition, Slipp has recently been lending her talents to indie mainstays Dirty Projectors, and Kamen-Green has provided his production and composition skills for pop megastars like Beyoncé and Lorde. Yeah, that Beyoncé.
But as much as the crowd-pleasing cover was the most recognizable song of the performance, it was by no means the lone highlight of the set as mmeadows’ own well-crafted art-pop jams proved comparably impressive. Slipp showcased her impressive pipes and layed down bass lines on her keytar while Kamen-Green multi-tasked, constructing a wild backdrop of beats and sounds, often while playing a Nyle Steiner MIDI EVI — a rarely seen trumpet-style electronic instrument. Songs like “You Should Know by Now” and “Light Moves Around You” have major hit potential. It wouldn’t be shocking to see either track get a lot of airplay if the right people hear the duo’s newly released EP, By Design.
Although mmeadows may not have been the most conventional fit to precede Will Sheff’s sincere lyrical folk rock, the variety of styles helped differentiate each act to accentuate their strengths. Stepping away from the Okkervil River name that’s long represented his work, the Austin-based singer-songwriter presented tunes from his somber new album Nothing Special with a little extra oomph, courtesy of a tight backing band that included exceptional guitarist Will Graefe (who also supplied some memorable licks while sitting in with mmeadows for a song).
The live renditions — “The Spiral Season” in particular — helped sell me further on the album, which I had only recently begun to come around on. Sheff also didn’t leave longtime Okkervil River fans hanging. The latter half of the set featured several older cuts from his previous project, including personal favorites “So Come Back, I Am Waiting” and “No Key, No Plan.”
There was a point in time when Okkervil River would have easily packed a room like The Grey Eagle, even on a Monday. Maybe the low turnout was just due to Sheff’s decision to move on from the moniker in favor of his own name. Whatever the reason, he’s still putting on a good show.
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
Will Sheff
