She-Devils

Silver Dollar, Toronto ON, May 7

BY Max MohenuPublished Mar 14, 2017

8
Montreal's She-Devils may have the most minimal live setup around, but Audrey Ann and noise maker Kyle Jukka had no problem creating dreamy, colossal soundscapes that looped warped crunchy blips and surf-rock atmospherics into an eerie love story onstage.
 
Ann's low register coasted on spaced-out rhythms that morphed into more vibrant fuzz, slowly allowing her vocals to ascend on a tidal wave of textured rockabilly samples encased in noisy warbles. The band didn't play much from their latest EP, but rather a lot of songs that felt brand new.
 
Ann's romanticized lyrics took on a hint of gloom on a song that channelled chic, French new wave elements, building into shrieking feedback that warped through the sparse synth textures embedded in the track's barely-there beat work.
 
The crowd was chilled-out, but very receptive to their set, which found Ann's vocals become more loud and vibrant than usual. Jukka's samples revisited no-wave dissonance, swirling in undulated grooves and patchy electronics during the latter half, creating a wall of sound more enticing than ever.
 
Ann announced their last song, which saw her monotone vocals transform into echoing runs, floating atop of jangly compositions of '60s psych rock samples and gargling drum loops, pouring over the crowd. By the end of this sound storm, She-Devils left smiling at the sight of the crowd, who sent them off with a round of applause.

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