When I first discovered Radical Face in high school, my one and only fault of the band was purely the knowledge that very few would worship their music as much as I did.
Folk is a genre already commonly overlooked and unfortunately Radical Face lack the generic sex appeal of Angus & Julia Stone or the universally relatable lyrics of Mumford & Sons, thus lagging behind the line of mainstream acceptance.
Though what they lack in popular opinion they make up for in authenticity and raw talent; I was ecstatic to be part of the small crowd that gathered at The Zoo for their first Australian tour on Sunday (28 May).
Frontman Ben Cooper immediately eradicated any prospect of ‘band above audience’ hierarchy, very casually and kindly greeting the crowd with a wave and a smile: “Hi everyone, we’re from Florida.” ‘Summer Skeletons’ started the set off on an optimistic note, Cooper promptly clarifying: “Let’s start with something happy before we get to the depressing stuff.”
Radical Face - image © @sketchygigsIt was surprisingly shocking to witness his talking voice and singing voice hand in hand, live in the flesh; even more so disorientating to see the mouth the vocals stream from. Cooper’s tall, sturdy appearance gives the impression of stability, strength and maturity, whereas his words when sung peel back any indication of resilience and unlock a chest of emotion.
A shining example of Radical Face’s ability to describe thoughts and feelings in nature-based metaphors, the lyrics ‘Rivers In The Dust’ dazzled. The band delved into more melancholy notions with ‘The Crooked Kind’, while the gentle guitar plucking and staccato cello strumming of ‘The Ship in Port’ danced around the room.
‘Severus And Stone’ embraced the topic of death, building with an emotive crescendo: “And he said to me these words, don’t you fear for me, this is where I’m supposed to be.” A personal favourite of their mammoth discography, fans chimed along to the ‘oohs’ of ‘The Mute’, Cooper’s soft sopranos sending goosebumps down each and every spine.
2007 album ‘Ghost’ made its welcome debut with ‘Winter Is Coming’; beautiful ballad ‘Sisters’ was next in tow; ‘Black Eyes’ touched on tender sentiments, animosity brimming in the lyrics and laced in the instrumentation, also.
The crowd cheered as the introductory hums and recognisable guitar riff of ‘Wrapped In Piano Strings’ surfaced, released ten years ago and still as personally impactful as it first was through the headphones of my MP3 player as a teenager.
“Are you guys going to sing-along to this one? Let’s practice,” was ‘Welcome Home, Son’s preceding statement, soon turning the venue into a cooing choir as the crowd rehearsed the chorus loud and in sync. The song is heart wrenching and instrumentally brilliant, an understandable catalyst of the band’s successful career.
A short encore followed Radical Face’s brief stage exit before the gig gently concluded. One question that lingers was the stage placement of the keyboard, positioned directly behind Cooper’s chair despite being an important element in each track. Even still, it was admirable watching the band members aptly switch between it and the drums; multi-instrumentation is always a show-stopper.
Though perhaps the most heartbreaking element of the gig was the lack of audience members. Only a small crowd fanned out from the stage and many chatted loudly between songs (an opportunity of which Cooper was using explain the meaning behind each when composing).
Perhaps I of all people shouldn’t be preaching silence during sets (usually chanting along to the lyrics or enthusiastically voicing my sentiments towards the song), but the beauty of Radical Face lies primarily within their words. Sure, each tune is embellished by flawless harmonies, pretty guitar licks and the ever-beautiful addition of the cello. but it’s the lyrics that need and deserve to be heard most.
