If your ears are feeling void of some ’80s-era Duran Duran or George Michael, then you might add Brooklyn-based to your playlist.
was morphed into a dance odyssey of synth-heavy pop on Tuesday night that was hair sprayed with ’80s flash. St. Lucia manufactured a familiar formula that sounded breezy and ebullient but was altogether ghostly and vacant in its lazy attempt at novelty. South African-born frontman Jean-Philip Grobler and his band also didn’t color too far outside the lines — the music was safe and vanilla. But as the sold-out crowd will attest; they like it that way. Grobler himself just might also be thrilled by the “Rio”-era parallels.
“The Night Comes Again,” with its Simon Le Bon vocal chirp and lush chorus, opened the set in full sprite. It was a fun and polished kickstart that pulsated with energy. “The Old House Is Gone” sounded more like the perfect soundtrack for a cruise ship, an African safari, or happy hour tapas in Ibiza. “Closer Than This,” while still predictable, was more authentic in its delivery and less muddied in over-production as Grobler wrenched-out the moody chorus. Toward the middle of the set, “Wait For Love” and “We Got It Wrong” stuck out as two of the more well-crafted songs. Built around primal percussion and a breakbeat loop, both songs were by far the most inventive tracks. “Ain’t Nobody,” a cover of Chaka Khan’s 1983 No. 1 hit on the R&B charts, was a brilliant danceable feast that sounded like it was born from the band’s own catalog.
The set closed with a rendition of “When The Night” off the band’s 2013 full-length debut release. As one might guess, the song harkened back to the bygone era of New Wave. For the abundance of millennials in the crowd, it may just in fact sound new.
Follow our news and updates on , our relationship status on and our search history on . Or send us a telegram.
Kris K. Coe is a freelance writer, Denver-native and regular contributor to Reverb.
