LOS ANGELES, CA- For a band that had the fastest-selling debut album on the U.K. Albums Chart in 2015, I was surprised at my lack of knowledge of Years & Years. I’d like to think that I’m pretty up-to-date on music news, but I had apparently missed the Years & Years bus. A close friend of mine professed that she had seen Years & Years at least four times prior to this evening, and she guaranteed that I wouldn’t be disappointed. I wasn’t.
Olly Alexander is a force of nature on stage. His charisma and charm is something that any performer should aspire to. The young man can sashay, strut and dance on stage while maintaining perfect pitch singing melodies. It was quite impressive.
Olly’s performance was enhanced by the funky synth pop that the band was playing. With electronic beats pulsing out R&B flavored instrumentation, it was a full and robust sound that filled the packed room. I thought it was a particularly good call for Years & Years to be touring with two background vocalists as their tones really filled out the vocal sounds and gave the music a really earthy and grounded tone despite the club like atmosphere.
Having released their sophomore album Palo Santo earlier this year, their setlist was a solid mix of cuts from their latest release, and healthy dose of songs from their debut album.
I briefly made mentioned of it above, but all throughout their performance, it felt like I was in an intimate club setting. The music and the performance exuded an energy that forced you sway your hips with beat. As Olly danced about the stage, I felt like he was welcoming all into his cathedral to dance with him(he has previously said in interviews that the dancefloor can be as sacred as a church). The audience was particularly lively on this night, and happily obliged his directive.
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