We Are Serenades Played Knitting Factory [photos]

Photo credit: Karp

There is indeed a trace of a quiet serenade in the bright pop of We Are Serenades (@weareserenades). As their synth-driven songs washed over the scattered crowd at the Knitting Factory last Friday night, their energy as performers was quite soothing.

“In the beginning, all of our songs sounded like hymns and serenades,” frontman Adam Olenius explained from the stage, “… and then something started to happen. Something pop and rock.”

These four men from Stockholm, dressed all in black, seem unassuming and untroubled. At one point, Olenius (from Shout Out Louds) reached out to fellow frontman Markus Krunegård; they held onto each other’s elbows momentarily, a move executed with the charm unique to Scandinavians.

The band played through the songs off of their newly-released album Criminal Heaven, mixing up the order for the live set.  Each part in the composed sound holds its own, while the synthesizer brings versatility to each song. It tinkles like a xylophone on “You Make It Easy On Me”, whirrs like a fantasy time machine on “Come Home” and booms resolutely on “All The Words”.  Also in the line-up was a cover of Chris Cross’s “Ride Like The Wind”.  Keep in mind that this is a song that was #2 on the Billboard charts — in 1980.  Leave it to the Swedes to bring it back, and the woman next to me, who dated herself with her enthusiastic dancing, to truly appreciate it.

New York band HITS brought their own 1980s flair to the stage immediately preceding We Are Serenades (they, in turn, were preceded by The Aviation Orange (@aviationorange)). Their percussive, electronic sound and the theatrical cry of Louis Epstein’s falsetto vocals make these songs ripe material for ‘80s-style music videos, complete with torn t-shirts and big hair. The catchy rhythms inspire dancing, but have just enough restraint to keep the crowd in check.

We Are Serenades are nearing the end of their American tour, bringing their poppy serenades and 80s tributes to the west coast next week.