Camera (1/22/10)
by Paul on January 28th, 2010
The success, or even longevity, of a band is often determined by their ability to capitalize on the opportunities presented to them. For Chicago’s Camera it has taken over seven years, but now it seems like they are getting their chance to take advantage of such opportunities. One of these has been working with producer Matt McDonough, better known as the drummer from Mudvayne, and the others have come in the form of fairly frequent headlining gigs around the city. Last Friday, I was able to see them close out a night at the Bottom Lounge — one of my favorite Chicago venues — and it was clear to me that they take the chances they’ve been given very seriously and put a lot of work into their live show.
A three-piece featuring brothers Justin and Joseph Scro on vocals/guitar and drums respectively, and Ryan Aylward on bass, Camera conjure some of the better aspects of dark new wave and synthpop in their sound. Talking with the band before the show, Justin acknowledged that these certainly aren’t new genres to be exploring, but it reflects what they listened to growing up and they are able to put their own twist on it. “People ask me, ‘What do you sound like?’, and I say, ‘Well, if you combined Nirvana with “New Wave Hits of the 80s”…’”, he said, and that’s pretty accurate. In our discussion, though, he ran the gamut from LCD Soundsystem to Weezer to Spiritualized, and it’s interesting to hear all these come out in their music. While the most common comparisons that will be levied against the band will be to Joy Division or Interpol, there is a certain urgency in some songs that reflects the influence of early grunge and punk that helps them stand out some. Set opener ‘Negotiator’ is one example of this, with a brisk bassline propelling Justin’s vocals a la Gang Of Four. Some of those prior comparisons will be a result of the frontman’s strong, deep vocals, but on other cuts he displays an ability to vary them in texture. On ‘Innerbully’, his voice begins almost pale and distant before reaching full strength at the song’s climax.
What is most impressive about them, though, is the depth of their overall sound. On record, I found that the vocals were occasionally too dramatic and distracted from everything else that was happening. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen live as there is a great balance, allowing Aylward’s basslines room to breathe and carry the songs, which is the case on many of them. This isn’t a negative at all, because unlike Joy Division or Interpol, Camera have a very noticeable groove, adding a levity and dancy nature to their live set. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Aylward is all over the stage, providing contagious energy that led to a number of people dancing in front of the stage. Only three or so of their songs from Friday’s show are available on record, but I was quite impressed with how the rest of the set sounded. Working with McDonough has matured the band and many of the newer songs are better developed and more accessible than their previous work. ‘Buried Alive’ was probably my favorite from the set, but ‘Debris’ and ‘Pierce’ later on in the set were just as promising. They stumbled a bit with the closer ‘Evening News’, which reverted to some of their dramatic tendencies (a megaphone was involved), but overall I thought it was a great set by a hardworking band seemingly poised to branch out from its Chicago base.
Paul Bulow
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