By Francesca Hales
The night of Oct. 7 at The Atlantis unfolded like a dreamscape. Psychedelic lights, shimmering harmonies, and the unmistakable alchemy of the Oracle Sisters had the room truly ascendant.
The concert opened with Boomershack, who brought their folk-rock grooves all the way from Austin. Sporting matching mustaches, they fingerpicked intricate melodies on the acoustic and brought raw soul and passion to their vocals.
Then, the lights dimmed, psychedelic swirls illuminated the bands’ signature spectral circle, and five people took to the stage. With their Scandinavian roots, sparkles, mullets, and shaggy bangs, it looked almost like an ABBA reunion.As soon as they began playing, however, the unmistakable and magical Oracle Sisters sound filled the room.
Frontman Christopher Willatt had a radiant stage presence, energetically dancing and performing with the air of a Brooklyn Cillian Murphy in his suspenders and high-waisted trousers.
Lewis Lazar delivered searing, intricate guitar solos while Julia Johansen anchored the set with vocals and drums. The unexpected presence of Melanie Drew Chambers on the synth enriched each song with rich, layered sounds.
Traveling through their discography, the set was an ethereal journey. While some songs like “High Moon” felt like sweet lullabies, others like “Cigale Song” were upbeat and energetic, and others like “Velveteen” had a bit of angst. Regardless of the tone, every second of their performance felt imbued with joy.
Much of that spirit comes from their newest album, Divinations, which was heavily inspired by journeys and trips and described by NewNoise as a “nomadic album.” Written while they trekked across Europe and North America on their last tour, many of them have a sense of forward momentum, the steady rhythms and dusky tones evoking a long road trip at sunset.
During the show, members of the band reminisced about their journeys, sharing how the U.S. has only gotten “more beautiful, more strange” since their last tour. They followed with “Rodeo,” a soft, nostalgic song that drifts from Harlem to the Alamo to Austin, painting a wistful but romantic portrait of America through an outsider’s eyes.
It was a fitting image for a band that embodies movement and journey. They are an international collective of artists whose music is deeply tied to the places they’ve been. Albums and EP’s Paris I, Paris II, and Hydranism are all rooted in the cities that inspired them.
I left the Atlantis wanting even more, longing for more hours watching them play and feeling enveloped in their sweet harmonies.
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