The Black Canary w/ Afternoon Naps, Black Swans - Ravari Room, 4/18

The Black Canary is one of those Columbus bands that seems to be consistently on the cusp of notoriety but still manages to fly under the radar, despite having some pretty great songs. There are reasons for that, though.

For one, the band isn’t exactly prolific. The Black Canary formed in June of 2006 and released a single, creating buzz that landed them a spot on a CMJ sampler CD and a slot at last year’s CMJ Music Marathon. But that’s all the band put out until Friday’s rescheduled release show at the Ravari Room (the original was snowed out in March). The new seven-inch single, “Vampire,” was given away for free at the show and is also available as a free download on the band’s Myspace page (and below, for ease).

So after about two years, there is still no debut album from the Black Canary, though singer David James promised a full-length in September. With that release history, the band shouldn’t have been too surprised at the sparse crowd.

But what made the show worth covering, and what makes the Black Canary worth listening to despite its spartan output, is the band’s fresh take on ’60s psychedelic pop. It’s a style the band has made all its own, setting it apart from most Columbus bands. The songs are filled with shoegazey atmosphere, and James’s understated vocals don’t get in the way of the Moogy mood. Ethereal swells are pinned down by Eric Buford’s heavy but simple drumbeats.

The atmospheric textures were handled Friday night by a Macbook and some live synth parts while a screen provided polka-dotted visuals at the back of the stage. It was also fitting that James was played an Epiphone John Lennon reissue, as the Beatles are an obvious influence on the band.

Unfortunately the set as a whole lacked the fluidity that the Black Canary captures so well on its singles. The vocals were often too low in the mix and too dry for the band’s material. Some songs did work well, such as the B-side cover of Blur’s “Sing,” but instead of keeping that good vibe going, the banter between songs killed it. It felt like amateur hour, with James awkwardly name-dropping other bands and taking way too long to transition to the next tune. The low point was a collaboration with members of opener Afternoon Naps, which the bands admitted was unrehearsed. It showed.

I was also disappointed with the performance of the new single, “Vampire,” which sounded off-key and without as much of a hook as some of the band’s other material.

Not surprisingly given the band’s catalog, it was a short set. It by no means ruined me on the Black Canary--I’m still looking forward to that debut album when it eventually surfaces. But hopefully between now and then the band will play plenty of shows to hone those chops and do its recordings justice.

Warming up the stage was Cleveland’s Afternoon Naps, who performed short, Belle and Sebastian-style twee-pop songs, heavy on the twee. The guy-girl vocals and jangly guitar were nice, as were the xylophone and trumpet additions, but lyrics like “I’m so happy that you are mine, feeling happy all the time” started to drive me crazy. As did the seemingly required insertion of “ba ba ba,” “la la la” or “bum bum bum” into every song. Once the cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” surfaced, I just about passed out from the saccharine overdose.

I was mesmerized the last time I saw the Black Swans at Andyman’s, but unfortunately the band was missing its violin player for the opening slot Friday night. It made me realize how much that fiddle adds, filling out the band’s weird, hushed folk ballads. With the violin, it’s eerie and spooky; without it, it just felt creepy. “New Medicine” and “Shake” were probably the best of the short set, and Jerry DeCicca’s low, whispered croon still drew me in from time to time. His harmonica sometimes helped fill the void, too. But alas, it just wasn’t the same. Noel Sayre, come back soon.

mp3: The Black Canary - Vampire