SVIIB Lives on, Despite Suffering a Loss

It’s been a tough few weeks for School of Seven Bells. The announcement of Claudia Deheza’s departure, one of the twin sisters whose vocal harmonies make their sound so distinctive, arrived suddenly and without warning on their Facebook account. Fans were shocked, and despite their decision to continue with their tour, they’ve received mediocre reviews in her absence.

So it’s with trepidation that I step into Heaven tonight to see for myself how the band have coped with this recent loss. First up however is the special appearance of Jon Hopkins as support. The man who co-wrote Brian Eno’s new album arrives on stage surrounded by an impressive array of electronic equipment, and over his half hour set, morphs from Animal Collective-like psychedelia to full on dubstep. Leaving the stage to the most raucous applause I have ever heard for a support act, he’s immediately placed on my ‘to listen to’ list.

A few more minutes of waiting, and SVIIB themselves appear onstage cloaked in darkness to the faint hum of synths before launching into ‘Half Asleep’, and the chills down my spine reassure me that they mean business.

Wisely, the now-duo use a setlist of songs predominantly from their new album Disconnect From Desire, relying less on their characteristic harmony and more on guitar based ambience, resulting in a more cohesive sound. Musically, SVIIB have never sounded tighter. By employing a live drummer as well as drum machine, songs like the My Bloody Valentine-esque Babelonia and ILU sound blistering live. With the incredible sound system at Heaven, the wailing guitar lines and pounding rhythms push the songs into another league, and the crowd reacts accordingly.

However, not everything works. In certain songs you get the feeling that some crucial ingredient is missing: Dust Devil, one of my favourite tracks from the new album, sounds distinctly flat and empty without the vocal harmonies, and My Cabal almost sounds clumsy without a synth lead.

After 10 songs, the band finish with Sempiternal/Aramanth, the longest, and in my opinion worst, song off their debut album Alpinisms. However, live it suddenly makes sense. The track is allowed to build to a massive peak, with Ben Curtis producing an incredible guitar feedback solo.

After it’s all over, I feel reassured. Despite my moments of doubt, this band are currently at their peak, and if tonight’s performance is anything to go by, they really are on their way to bigger things.