REVAMP Riffs: Airiel At Black Cat (8/20/2012)

All photographs by Deanna Saracino for REVAMP.com.

U STREET -- Chicago based band Airiel wrapped things up on Monday night in DC as they put an end to a swift little four date tour of the East Coast. With a fierce performance of songs including those off their new EP, Kid Games, Airiel pulled no punches.

It has been roughly 5 years since their last release, The Battle of Sealand, but Airiel is back with a fresh new sound that is easy to digest.

Not since the heyday of shoegazing has a band been so intent on submerging the listener in authentic waves of reverb, echo, and effects pedals. Songwriter Jeremy Wrenn (guitar/vocals) quietly whipped up a bright shimmering sound that was reminiscent of dream pop band M83, but perhaps with a considerable amount more guitar.

The crowd was small but content. Their set moved along at a furious pace with layers upon layers of hard-hitting sounds that vibrated through your body. Airiel did a brilliant job of captivating the audience along the way with their energy.

The first song they played off their new EP was “You against the rest of us” which set the tone for the rest of the night, with its climactic beats. “Flashlight tag” packed a punch and seemingly got the crowd moving.

It’s obvious Airiel's music is characterized by swirling guitars, thudding bass, and mad drumming -- all behind somber vocals that you can barely make out, but it’s nonetheless impressive the control and texture Airiel has to its style.

Even though the vivid sound of shoegazing is not loved by most, those who tend to get lost in thought on a regular basis might find a love for this band very quickly.