Picture an average downtown bar: new tech jukebox, electronic dart board. Now insert blasting, blaring music, charging and overwhelming everything in its path. No this wasn’t a death metal show, this was The Charms at Artie’s River Street Stage. The quintuplet from Boston plays music that’s a mix between No Doubt and The White Stripes (but only in the good way.)
With female lead singer and guitarist Ellie Vee and keyboardist Kat Kina, the band draws on a certain sex appeal for many of their songs. They also pair this with a lot of excitement and intensity. They wail, they flail, and they rock. If guitar solos are your thing that’s great, because it seems to be theirs, too. You can expect solos about every three songs or so. They like to make them light and fluid, even if they are fast, instead of gratuitously abusing the instrument.
As there seem to be many these days, The Charms is another hard working regional band. Touring frequently they have been playing every other night on average. Their high tempo and solid beats join with the smooth lyrics and smart love songs. Partying, hanging out, and whispering sweet nothings is what this band is all about.
I found that beyond a half hour, many of their songs started sounding the same. I attribute this to their obsession with sound, making sure there is always a lot of it going on at the same time. This didn’t lower the quality of the music, because they still had lots of creativity within the same set of notes.
The vocals were fresh and enjoyable, however, the lyrics didn’t seem to touch a deeper part of me in any way. I did have a hard time understanding the words due to the overpowering of the guitars and fracturing of the vocals by the microphone’s volume. In a more contained setting, where the music doesn’t give you a headache, The Charms rise to a more enjoyable sound.
One interesting reflection of the band is the way they dressed. They were glossy and clean, somewhat separated from the Troy bar in which they were performing. I’m sure they are used to packed Boston bars full of college students, but what they got here was a small crowd of somewhat interested on-lookers. The concert would have been much better if the college students who live in Troy were patrons of the local bars and concerts.
There are many sounds that pass through the streets of Troy every weekend, The Charms are just one group of many talented musicians trying to spread their talents. With a solid sound and a fantastic image, you’ll find many hours of enjoyment, either catching them in concert or picking up one of their CDs from their website at http://thecharms.net/.
