Live Review - These New Puritans, London Barbican (17th April 2014)

Last year’s “Field of Reeds” was one of the most challenging, yet ultimately rewarding albums of last year. The attention to detail present on the record provided a plentiful pool for journalists to fish from. Stories abounded of the band apparently spending hours breaking glass to achieve just the “right” sound, and bringing a live hawk into the studio to sample the sound of its wings flapping. A picture got built up of an obsessed band in search of perfection. You’d be seriously pushing it to classify them as a “rock” band; they reside in an almost uncategorizable world between classical and art-rock. The thought of seeing the album performed live under the “TNP Expanded” banner, with the strings and horns and choir was too exciting a prospect to miss. There were about 30 additional members on stage in the end, tantalizingly including Elisa Rodrigues whose additional vocals are an essential part of the album, and Adrian Peacock, the UK’s deepest baritone, along with members of Synergy Vocals and the Heritage Orchestra. The night was a meticulous recreation of a staggering album. No hawk appeared onstage unfortunately, although a percussionist was noticed donning a full facial mask, evidently to smash some glass. The Barbican provided the perfect reverent setting. You can imagine what a train-wreck the show would have been if they’d chosen Brixton Academy or something. I was left with the feeling that it was tragic that this was to be a one-off. I wanted to go again. I also wondered how on earth they’d been performing these songs all this time without all the additional musicians. This did not feel like a radical reworking of an album, with an orchestra tacked on; all the elements seemed to be combining to try and recreate the album as closely as possible. That’s not to say there weren’t deviations. V (Island Song) is stretched to a powerful 9- minute epic, for example. The second-half of the night addressed the old and the new. A thunderous We Want War along with Three Thousand from previous album “Hidden” injected a surge of adrenalin into proceedings. In a sense, it felt like a massive relief. As stunning as “Field of Reeds” is, it almost felt like you’d been holding your breath throughout the first half. TNP also decided to debut some new music, which at this stage would seem to continue in a similar vein to “Field of Reeds” rather than betray another radical change of direction. Either way, TNP remain a fascinating proposition. In fact, it’s hard to think of a more genuinely progressive and forward-thinking contemporary band around. The sheer ambition of these three lads from Southend should be a call to arms for more bands; perfection may just be attainable.