There’s no way around the fact that this review is essentially an internal dialogue I’m having regarding my feelings on The Naked and Famous as a band. I’m always fascinated by which artists get approval in the discourse of “indie” music. One band has their pop song featured in a commercial and they’re a sellout, while another does the same and is praised for getting fairly compensated for their artistic creation. A fine line separates bands that are welcomed into indiedom with open arms and those that are eschewed for being too… too… well, something. The Naked and Famous seem to be a band that is toeing that line pretty closely.
I’m just not sure what distinguishes bands such as Passion Pit, MGMT, or Chvrches, and I mean that in an entirely positive way, as they’ve been largely left out of a dialogue that includes those artists. As I’ve discussed this idea with friends throughout the week leading up to seeing them at the Erwin Center, opening for the truly horrific Imagine Dragons, I’ve gotten mixed reactions, with some seeing a clear distinction in stylistic decisions and others emphatically agreeing with me. The Naked and Famous put themselves on the map with summertime anthem “Young Blood,” a song that deserves recognition as completely infectious and artistically significant. Although they’ve never recaptured what they had with that single, producing often similar but less ambitious versions, the band’s output has felt consistent and sincere.
Last night at the Erwin Center, the New Zealand band was easily the most talented and original band to take the stage. Performing a short set that included highlights from their most recent effort In Rolling Waves as well as a couple songs culled from their debut, the band clearly impressed concertgoers. And I’ll be that Naked and Famous felt pretty pleased with standing in front of an elaborte stage set that mimicked the album art for their last record. With any luck, a few of those in attendance last night will pick up an album and begin to find their way to something a little less bought-and-sold than Imagine Dragons—I know that sounds like I’m an elitist asshole, but I only want truly original artists compensated for creative work rather than another facsimile of the last big thing to bank on the Clear Channel cash machine. (You play Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” and A Great Big World’s “Say Something” and tell me: what’s the difference?)
I can’t help but admit that it’s a little conflicting. I’m happy for The Naked and Famous—they’re reaching wider audiences—but I do wish they weren’t on tour opening for Imagine Dragons. I’d much rather see them headlining Stubb’s. Label me an elitist if you must, but I do think the artists with a band chooses to tour matters. Time will tell which path The Naked and Famous will follow.
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