Photos by Matthew Solarski
Swoon-pop songstress Shura is batting 1.000 as far as we’re concerned, having dropped five, count’em, FIVE, pitch-perfect singles in the past year or so: “Touch”, “Indecision”, “Just Once”, “2Shy,” and, most recently, “White Light”. If last week’s Mercury Lounge show, her second NYC engagement, was any indication, that winning streak is only going to continue. In addition to the aforementioned fivesome (including a blissed-out extended version of “White Light”), we got two helpings of new “stuff”: “Figure Stuff Out”, which is on par with the rest if not better, and the atmospheric ballad “Kids ’n’ Stuff”, which will probably sound great on headphones but came over a little sleepy here.
Rounded out with a fun cover of Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy” (with a touch of Wheetus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” thrown in for good measure), it was the same set she played at Rough Trade back in March, but those in attendance at the sold out show couldn’t have cared less: shrieks and woooo’s were the order of the day, and they’re sure to multiply tenfold when the album finally drops.
Go-to local opener Rioux got things started off right with an energetic sampling of electronic sounds, abetted by guitar and occasional vocals.