by Ryan Rudnansky on February 4, 2010
Chamber pop sensation Loch Lomond will be visiting the Doug Fir Lounge on Thursday night, and with the way the quintet has been shattering venues for the last two years, it should be another rousing live show guaranteed to instill their magical music into anyone in the vicinity… and stay there well past the show.
Vocalist Ritchie Young is the driving force behind the band with his high-pitched, poppy falsetto echoing above a proper orchestra. Loch Lomond takes you to a place, and then one-ups that place, continuing to build upon the sound with a vast array of instruments throughout each song. Instruments include: guitar, percussion (Young); clarinet, bass, ukulele (Scott Magee); keys (Dave Depper); vibraphone, banjo, and various other sounds (Jason Leonard).
Lomond’s latest release, the five-track EP Night Bats, is a sign of the band evolving. As Young put it talking to OMN in November, it is a cross between their old recordings and a full-length album they hope to release sometime this year.
Over a year ago, Loch Lomond opened for The Decemberists for a month. Young said it was an eye-opener to play in front of that many people. But Loch Lomond already has people opening their eyes and ears to the wonderful world of chamber pop, and before long, grand crowds will be a regular occurrence for the Portland band.
Listen to “Wax and Wire” on their MySpace page and you will have a good idea of the breadth and beauty of Loch Lomond’s music.