After a quiet, beautiful set by Some Say Leland, the multitude of members (including two drummers) of Linen Closet took the stage at the Central Presbyterian Church Saturday night. The project is the brainchild of Adam Hilton, who possesses an incredibly affecting, dignified stage presence, dressed in a vest and button-up. His dark glasses hide his eyes as strands of hair hang down over the frames. Hilton is captivating, making the band entrancing to watch live, despite their most somber elements.
The band played almost all of their new Cassette EP, Bright Wing, which is available now from Accrue Cassettes. “All Your Crying” embodies what the band does best—quiet, beautiful songs built on strings and achingly wavery vocals. “Cross That Bridge” (I believe it is called), served as the night’s high point for me. The song is a strange mix of orchestral beauty and talky storytelling that culminates in an explosion of vocals and drums at the end—it falls somewhere between Talking Heads and Arcade Fire.
Really, the best point of reference is Carissa’s Wierd [sic]. I was perpetually reminded of this now defunct band from Seattle. Two members of that band, Mat Brooke and Ben Bridwell went on to form a band called Band of Horses. Brooke left the band before the first tour was even over, leaving it to Bridwell. Brooke and Adam Hilton may have a lot in common. It was primarily Brook’s fingerprint on the Carissa’s Wierd recordings. You can hear a bit of it on “St. Augustine” the final (and my favorite the band has ever done) track on the band’s first album “Everything All the Time.”
The Central Presbyterian Church, with it’s impeccable acoustics, is one of my favorite places to see music. Linen Closet’s sounds worked perfectly in the space. This was my first time seeing Adam Hilton’s project, but it won’t be the last. Linen Closet is a band I’ll be following and seeing again soon. Full photo set for the night follows the stream of the Linen Closet track “All Your Crying” below.
