Chapter in Verse
Chapter in Verse
December 5, 1998 @ Bill’s Bar
Buoyed by a front crush of devoted followers, Chapter in Verse opened
their rhythmically repetitive set with a gentle unplugged offering which
soon erupted into aggressive acousticity. Combining enveloping vocals with
stretched harmonies, the dynamic duo of fronters Brenda White and Rachel
Clayton posed and strutted their way through an interesting, interchanging
group of string arrangements backed by the solid bass of Chris Tilden and
the sometimes thuddy editorial percussion of Steve Tobey. Combining
material from their forthcoming album with even newer songs and a
sprinkling of cheekily lascivious commentary, CiV took a musical step back
with an impressive and intriguing cover of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309
(Jenny)” which proved to be one of the most arresting offerings of the
evening, silencing the talkative second line of more passive music fans
and bringing nearly everyone in on the chorus. Undoubtedly “into” their
tunes and their fans, CiV moved from stripped singer-songwriter stuff to
broader, harder rock-based beats and even a touch of funk in a pleasing
hometown stand which rallied the troops for the forthcoming release of
their CD. Though the group’s melodies quickly became familiar and though
lyrics were often hard to understand (save for oft-repeated hooks), the
melodies and rhythms were undeniably toe-tappable and occasionally
danceable and made for an enjoyable evening on Lansdowne Street.
- Matthew S. Robinson
© 1998 M. S. Robinson, ARR
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