Live: Caroline Rose/Cardioid

WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL — 6/23/18: I’ve been eagerly waiting to see Caroline Rose live again since first seeing her at Stubb’s in March during SXSW. The act was by far my favorite takeaway from the festival, with such an impressive, energetic, bright, fun performance and no compromise in musicianship. These witty songs were well-put-together and enjoyable right from the first live listen. Rose’s ability to be so clever and carefree was astonishing. It’s rare to see this type of charismatic humor shine through in what are essentially guitar- and synth-driven pop songs.

Moving forward to now, I was happy to see Caroline draw such a nice-sized crowd, filling the upstairs room at White Oak Music Hall. She and openers Cardioid were finishing the last of an 11-show tour together. It was clear Caroline Rose was a fan of Cardioid — more on them below.

I had very high expectations, and Rose did not disappoint. Backed by the very energetic and capable Abbie Morin (synth/guitar), Josh Speers (bass/synth), and Willoughby Morse (drums), she played almost entirely from Loaner, the group’s latest album. They also threw in a Britney Spears cover, “Toxic”. The show had a few unexpected breaks that allowed Caroline to joke a bit while they fixed the kick drum. Loaner is full of fun tunes, and the crowd was clearly enjoying every one.

Cardioid opened. Knowing nothing about them, I’d streamed their album Parts Department that morning. It’s a great name for the album, as they play an interesting array of styles, from doing straightforward songs that reminded me of Angel Olson, and then transitioning smoothly into the complexity of something you might hear from St. Vincent. I made sure I was there in in time for their set.

The band is touring as a three-piece — Lizzy Ellison (lead vocal/guitar), Riley Geare (drums/vocals), and Patti King (bass/vocals). Even though they toured two members short from the album lineup, they somehow managed to maintain an amazingly full sound; I found I actually preferred the live versions to the album. The songs were constructed well, instrumentally tight, and sung with wonderful harmony.

I will not be missing either of these bands when they come back to Houston. END

(Photos: Caroline Rose; Lizzy Ellison. All photos by Jason Smith.)