We ventured down to LaLaLand last Saturday night for our third Brit-band in seven days, Oxford’s stentorian Stornoway.  Turns out Stornoway might have been the pick of the Brit-litter.  Competition wasn’t too tough though–merely The Rolling Stones and Arctic Monkeys.  What’s that you ask:  Stornoway held their own against two of this year’s Glastonbury headliners?  In their own chamber-soul way, absolutely.  The Stornoway quartet (augmented by rapturous violinist Rahul Satija and trumpeter/percussionist Adam Briggs) endowed the intimate Bootleg Theater with their sophisticated pop melodies and complex arrangements, all delivered with good humor, charm and aplomb.  That, folks, is (musical) entertainment.

We had waited to catch Stornoway since their international break-out song Zorbing and their first album (Beachcomber’s Windowsill) took over our musical jukebox in 2010.  At long last last Saturday we caught the last night of Stornoway’s North American tour at the music-lovers dream-venue, The Bootleg Theater.  Despite an ambitious and exhausting schedule, lead-singer/guitarist Brian Briggs, multi-instrumentalist Jon Ouin, nimble bass player Oli Steadman, and adroit drummer Rob Steadman brought good energy and a full array of musical goods to the Bootleg, and all was right with the world.  Mixing songs from Beachcomber’s Window and their epic new album, Tales from Terra Firma, the band repeatedly floored us with their astonishing ensemble playing and harmonious vocalese.

Following an impressive set by openers Horse Thief (from Oklahoma), Stornoway was coaxed to the Bootleg stage by Satija’s lone violin, which opened into their fantastic farfisa-embellished single Knock Me on the Head.   The band went on to then play a couple of standouts from Beachcomber’s Window (The Coldharbour Road and Fuel Up) before landing back on Terra Firma with (A Belated) Invite to Eternity, You Take Me As I Am, November Song (sung beautifully by Brian Briggs solo and un-miked, as seen below), The Bigger Picture, and the pastoral, creation-affirming Farewell Appalachia.  Brian Briggs’ droll between-song patter helped to keep matters buoyant during the set (subjects included LA’s holiday-evoking weather vs. England’s; his first In-n-Out double-double pre-concert vs. the 250 tacos per-year consumed by the average Californian; and the inappropriateness of a sad song for Saturday night).

The band then moved onto the raving crowd-favorite Zorbing, which is even more fantastic live, as fueled by Adam Briggs’ trumpet, Satija’s violin and Ouin’s pounding on the upright piano, along with the other lads’ obvious instrumental joy.  Stornoway then closed out their main set with one of the best songs of 2013, the heart-rending ode to a departed, The Ones We Hurt The Most (done in phenomenal four-part harmony and spare guitar, as seen below).

For their encore, the group came back for a raucous delivery of the ’60s-esque pop song I Saw You Blink, followed by the jazz-inflected The Great Procrastinator (seen below).  Opener Horse Thief then returned to join Stornoway to fittingly close out the evening and tour with a celebratory and shambolic Watching Birds.

It was a fantastic end to a great night of music delivered by a band that has just started to make a mark for themselves.  We can’t wait to see their continued evolution and catch them again.  If you get the opportunity, don’t miss it.  And for heaven’s sake, go buy Tales From Terra Firma immediately.  It’s one of the best albums of 2013.

To get a good feel for the acoustic portions of Stornoway’s set, check them out on Sounds from a Room (on a boat moored on the Thames) HERE.