'Nutria N.N.' at Pete's Candy Store (in kleineKultur)

by Meghann Wilhoite -- kleineKulturSaturday, 9 Aug, 2008

Brooklyn-based Nutria N.N. brought their moody brand of Chilean indie-folk/rock to Pete’s Candy Store on Saturday night. Fans and strangers alike crammed into the small Williamsburg venue to witness the fairly impressive live recreation of meticulously orchestrated songs. The mix of acoustic (guitar, violin, field drum) and electric (synth, bass) instruments made for a genre-bending sound, the prevalence of pretty melodic lines and retro synth patches pushing indie.

Pensive and dark, the music inspired contemplative silence from the audience for most of the set, though an enthusiastic and boisterous round of “otra” was given after the final song. The first half of the set centered on the singer (who’s also the songwriter) and his acoustic guitar---like the breathy and ethereal “Una Mas, No Mas”---while the last half featured songs with a fuller sound and faster tempos. The bluesy “Tristeza de Lota” was one of these, whose abrasive harmonica loop gave the song a raw feeling. By contrast, the song before “Tristeza” employed the high vocals and steadily building-in-energy piano line characteristic of Sigur Rós. Differences in style like these notwithstanding, the singer’s clear voice and the attractive wonted harmonic language nicely unified the overall sound of the set.