Blackfield – NYC (K Scope)

Recorded live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, NYC is the third album from BLACKFIELD, the collaboration between Israeli rock star AVIV GEFFEN and PORCUPINE TREE leader STEVEN WILSON. Fielding a set of tunes from the band’s studio albums (plus a stark, angst-ridden cover of ALANIS MORRISETTE‘s “Thankyou”), Wilson and Geffen test their chemistry on stage in front of an adoring audience that’s clearly memorized every note. Unsurprisingly, as on the first Blackfield record, Wilson pretty much dominates; he sings most of the leads and the sonics bear a resemblance to both the widescreen psychedelia of the Tree and the earthy art pop of his other band NO-MAN. Which is a good thing, frankly, because if this show is any indication, Geffen is not at his best onstage. He does fine performing “Glow” solo at the piano, but anything that requires him to raise his voice (like full band backing) reveals glaring inadequacies in his singing. “Pain,” his other major showcase, is nearly derailed by his off-key, strained blare (and someone needs to tell him that vibrato does him no favors). He doesn’t have these problems in the studio version – either he’s the beneficiary of sympathetic mixers or he was having a bad night. Regardless, the best songs here – “Christenings,” “1000 People,” “Once,” “Blackfield” – are the ones driven by Wilson and that sound the most like his primary band(s). Geffen may very well be a true talent, but standing next to Wilson attempting to keep up, he comes off as second rate at best.

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