Taking their name from a waterfall located on the slopes of Mount Hood in Oregon, Ramona Falls is built around the nucleus of multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf, taking a sabbatical from his other band, Menomena. Knopf has reached the end of a month long tour with Johannasberg folkies Dear Reader, who also act as member of Knopf's band before moving centre stage as the headliners; a slightly bizarre situation but one that works.
I sometimes like to build word pictures in my head as I watch bands. It provides me with some cues as to what I'll write in a review should I attempt to describe the sound that a band or performer makes and the feelings their music might engender in me without resorting to proper nouns (which is sometimes unavoidable).
Some of the words that accompany Ramona Falls set tonight include "stark", "layoured", "transcendental", "facted", "unpredictable", "unconventional", "sophisticated", "interesting and weird beat and structure", "unexpected". I'm inclined to put them here en masse, in the third paragraph, as I think the picture they create in one place works better than my word limit might allow.
Intuit - the first recorded fruits of Knopf's solo excursion - is a powerful and evocative record. While the mixture of styles, influences and production is surprisingly varied and abundant there's no doubt about the control and skill that went into the end product. It's a record that shows a quiet confidence but never reveals where it might go next: just how it should be. I've read comparisons between Ramona Falls and Arcade Fire (proper nouns again...) and I think it's largely unfair; the product of lazy journalism. The sound of Ramona Falls is very much on a different track; it's more understated and spiritually introspective.
I was alternating tracks from Intuit alongside The Raveonettes' latest album on my way to the gig. As a dark piece of musical poetry, Sune Rose Wagner's twisted take on the lyrical and musical elements of the Spector-era girl groups is incredible listening but shows up Intuit as a much more positive piece of work. In the flesh, Knopt is similarly buoyant and full of love, clearly elated by a fitting end to his first solo UK tour: the crowd are numerous, appreciative and the performer is humbled, gushing his thanks for just how perfect it's all turned out.
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As Knopf's instrument of choice is the piano, the majority of the songs are driven by, and written around, trademark heart-fluttering keyboard riffs, some of which he also slots in between songs while his backing band tune up. 'Backing band' is probably the wrong word - the members of Dear Reader are clearly a solid part of the Ramona Falls live set up. They're a cohesive bunch, tight as hell and leave one with very little doubt that this might be a fleeting arrangement. They're having a ball and this is friendship before business.
The tracks from Intuit shine out: album opener Melectric has an undulating refrain that glitters with emotion and a piano line that resonates through the sterile cavern of the Highbury Garage's upstairs bar. It's a standout track from the set. Russia hits a similar apex. Before he leaves the stage, Knopt attempts a final acoustic number - a tribute to his friends in the audience. Sadly, a guitar strings breaks and he runs out of time, gushing his thanks once again before stumbling off stage.
Perhaps Knopf's shucksy gratitude shows that, as an experiment, Ramona Falls has exceeded all his expectations. It's arguably a more interesting offering than anything Menomena have put out. Often the vision of one individual, focused and firing on all cyclinders, can show up the compromises made by the group mentality (I'm thinking here of Sugarcubes Vs Bjork, for example).
Whether Ramona Falls becomes the day job or simply the outlet for future soujourns, Knopf has excelled. In Highbury, this very night, we are witness to the maturing of something very, very wonderful.
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