By Cool Kel
As a local Austinite, I’ve been attending SXSW for 25 years. This year, I’m embarking on a weeklong journey of reviewing only musical acts I know nothing about.
Noella Grey and the Imaginary Band @ The Pershing
By Tuesday, I was still experiencing a little SXSW fatigue, but it wasn’t yet full-fledged burnout. By the end of their short set, I was enjoying Noella Grey and the Imaginary Band, particularly. Noella’s stellar vocal abilities and flamboyant style.
Noella’s“imaginary” band consisted of only Noella on vocals accompanied by a single guitar player and a drumbeat (the full band normally includes a bass player and drummer), but the sparseness of the rhythm section only made her voice shine more.
Noella Grey and the Imaginary Band can be described as a Southern gothic soul band with a 1990s alternative rock filter. Their lyrics are angsty and youthful but Noella’s powerful vocals lend a maturity that raises the bar on the typical “emo” aesthetic. The downtuned, minor key of the guitar was an excellent counterpoint to Noella’s choir bombast.
Their final number, “Secret Friends”, was the catchiest song I heard at SXSW this year and is worth checking out. It stuck in my head after the show all the way to P.Terry’s drive thru and my ride home.