May 16

May 16 Review: Spellling at The Grey Eagle

Any music career carries a degree of risk. But in an era where many artists cling to the safety of genre boundaries, Spellling stands out as a vivid reminder of the creative rewards that come with taking chances.

Across four albums under her Spellling moniker, Tia Cabral has cultivated an adventurous sound that defies easy classification. Imagine Minnie Riperton and Angelo Badalamenti scoring a surreal Disney film directed by David Lynch and you’re somewhere in the ballpark. Her otherworldly pop feels both magical and mysterious, and her label, Sacred Bones, has a reputation for spotlighting artists who exude that kind of mystical energy.

On her latest album, Portrait of My Heart, Cabral doesn’t abandon the ethereal textures and lush art-pop atmospheres that defined her earlier work. But by weaving in bold threads of ’90s alt-rock — channeling the grittier sides of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead — she risks shaking up a formula that had been serving her well. She even closes the album with a daring, pop-laced cover of My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze classic “Sometimes.” In lesser hands, such genre fusion could’ve fallen flat, but Cabral pulls it off with ease, delivering a rendition that comes as close to the magic of the original as anyone has yet attempted.

Heading into Spellling’s May 3 show at The Grey Eagle, I was curious how her genre-blurring vision would translate in a live setting — and whether Asheville’s ever-unpredictable turnout for under-the-radar acts would match the moment.

As it so happened, a devoted group of younger fans had already staked out spots at the front of the stage well before showtime. Their early arrival was rewarded with a strong opening set from Chicago quintet Smut, whose fuzz-drenched sound previewed their upcoming album Tomorrow Comes Crashing. Drawing from the legacy of ’90s icons like Throwing Muses and Belly, Smut made a compelling case that the alt-rock revival is alive and thriving.

With the crowd remaining close-pressed, there was no need to be asked to step forward when Cabral and her backing quartet stepped onto the stage. What the youthful audience may have lacked in numbers, they made up for in sheer devotion.

Opening with the Pat Benatar-esque power-pop gem “Keep It Alive,” Cabral immediately captivated attendees with an entrancing stage presence focused primarily on vocals and keys. Three songs later, her mesmerizing range shined on the ballad “Destiny Arrives,” and the band quickly showcased its versatility, transitioning seamlessly between the rock-forward energy of Portrait of My Heart cuts and earlier downtempo highlights like “Magic Act” and “Cherry.”

The grungy “Drain” packed more punch live than on record, with its climactic swell and distorted guitar crescendo standing out as one of the night’s most electric moments. Still, the loudest crowd reactions came during the closing one-two punch of The Turning Wheel standouts “Boys at School” and “Little Deer.” The former, with its dreamy, psychedelic soul vibe, built to a stunning climax as the guitarist tore into a blistering solo.

As more artists revisit and reinterpret the sounds of the ’90s, there will undoubtedly be some casualties. (A swing-revival-revival could doom us all.) But when executed with the vision, talent, and heart that Cabral brings to her work, the results can be nothing short of spellbinding.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)