photos by Dave Lichterman
It is fitting that School of Seven Bells’ set occurred towards the end of the middle day of Bumbershoot -- their synth-heavy, at times tribal at others shoe-gazy, set seemed crafted for nighttime listening. It is odd that at one point during the set, I thought “This sounds a bit like The Secret Machines.” Coincidentally enough, guitarist Benjamin Curtis (Secret Machines) is one half of this duo (it was a trio until Claudia Deheza departed this time last year).
They put on a brooding, moody set of ethereal dreamy pop that featured Alejandra Deheza’s (yes, Claudia’s sister) surreal vocals. Yet another band that is mysterious in their on-stage nature, School of Seven Bells performed a majority of songs from their latest release, Disconnect From Desire. Ghostly International’s bio describes their music as full of tension, a valid statement that can be extended to the sense of heavy introspect that is often felt when spinning either of sVIIb’s albums -- an appropriate beginning to the end of Bumbershoot Day 2.
