It’s been over a decade since leaving the band Lillix, and in that time Vancouver’s Louise Burns has established herself as a great songwriter in her own right. She proved this on Friday, November 8, when she hit the stage at Lucky Bar the day after releasing her fourth album, Portraits.
When the doors opened, the empty venue looked more like a glorified hallway than a concert hall. But as the music started, the atmosphere shifted with the crowd as they moved toward the dance floor.
Because she’s known for a synth-heavy early-’80s pop sound, it was a little surprising to see a three-piece band take to the stage. Burns’ beautiful vocals and smooth walking bass lines were accompanied by Rob Tornroos with his white Stratocaster and drummer Eric Breitenbach (Limblifter, New Age Doom). The trio, playing over a synth loop, seemed to achieve a wall of sound with relative ease and mastery.
It’s a rarity in the pop world, but Burns’ songs actually sound better live than they do from a can. The set was fluid and well designed, and Burns had the audience dancing from the first note. There were a few familiar numbers scattered throughout the set, like “Who’s the Madman” and “Emeralds Shatter,” which fit perfectly into a setlist consisting mostly of songs from the new record.
Tornroos constantly changed his sound with countless knobs and pedals, which allowed him to mimic a synth or provide clean rhythms and lead riffs to complement Burns.
The night came to a climax with one of Burns’ best-known tracks, “Storms.” The catchy melody and infectious bass line moved away from the spotlight as Breitenbach stepped up from metronome to playing the lead. With hair flying all over the place and his arms flailing about like Animal’s, Breitenbach owned the kit without overstepping, in order to maintain the pop feel.
Burns’ experience was incredibly apparent. Both confident and unassuming, she absolutely owned the room and was a part of the crowd as they laughed and danced together.
Burns’ maturity and development as an artist were clearly visible. If it plays as well on the radio as it does on the stage, Portraits may prove to be her breakthrough record.