Live Review: deerRupublic

Friday night at Oxford Art Factory showcased three artists who create music with attention to the whole sound, drawing out various moods and feelings. From the elegant vocals of Amy Rose to the broad, indomitable soundscapes of deerRepublic, this night exhibited an interesting direction.

It is difficult to resist Amy Rose's gorgeous, compelling vocals. She is indomitable and vulnerable by turns; her distorted keyboard lines are progressive, steady. Her approach to music is interesting, with her vocals are at the forefront, with her keyboard lines forming a background.

Cold & Need are a really interesting emerging band. Their tracks range from the huge and heavy to kind of simplified, streamlined guitar-led tracks. Their sound is multi-layered and fascinating; they switch between really gritty, traditional indie rock tracks to quite complex tracks, drawing on band call-and-response and gorgeous guitar solos. Their track Oh I How I is a good example of this, as the arrangement is unconventional and compelling. Lyrically, this band is remarkable – there's a kind of ironic, poetic element to their lyrics, particularly in Kaleidoscope. The band seems to relish in simply performing, exchanging smiles and speaking casually with the audience, which is something of a feat after an extensive touring schedule.

Taking their own sweet time to come to the stage, deerRepublic shook the foundations of the Oxford Art Factory with the sheer possessive power of their indie rock tracks. With huge, shouted choruses and gritty guitar riffs, the band is reminiscent of The National and Arcade Fire – acts with huge, rich, wall-of-sound soundscapes. Yet there is also something quite elegant about the arrangement of these songs as distorted keys fit neatly within quite heavy, guitar-driven rock tracks. This is all exhibited in the band's single The Score, with the huge choruses sung in harmony and an elegant keyboard line compliments an earthy guitar arrangement. The slightly lighter pop stylings of Young Reverie are remarkably different, yet similarly seamlessly arranged, delivered with just as much kick. deerRepublic deliver tunes with this absolutely incredible, irrepressible energy; they are inexhaustible, with each track delivered with the same energy and excitement as if it were their last. It is difficult to doubt that this band is on the cusp of something momentous.