Milagres is on tour
supporting their second release, Glowing
Mouth, a collection that finds an ethereal path away from their more
earthbound, Cold Play inspired debut, Seven
Summits. Singer/songwriter Kyle
Wilson wrote the songs while recovering from a serious climbing accident and
their dreamy diversion provided a welcome addition to the band’s catalogue. They
now deviate from standard rock format into a lush soundscape of layered
percussion and vocals, making for a rewarding listen session whether live or
otherwise. The title track, “Glowing
Mouth,” was picked as a KEXP Song of the Day recently and the entire album has
been in WFUV’s “The Alternate Side” top twenty most played albums for weeks, so
it was interesting to see this band take to the stage.
On September 30, Milagres
focused on this new release for a full crowd filing in early at The Mercury
Lounge. There was the requisite plaid and
facial hair of any Brooklyn band, but Milagres has been around enough to know
how to put on a solid show and all it entails, even quickly getting to the
merch table to greet fans afterwards. Beginning
with the upbeat “Here to Stay” the group kicked into full gear, swirling music around
Wilson playing guitar center stage: Steve Leventhal on drums, Fraser McCulloch
on bass/vocals, Chris Brasee on keyboards and Eric Schwortz also on guitar/vocals. Next up was the climbing chorus of “Gone,”
building with intensity and volume to fill the space. The poetic storytelling of “Gentle Beast”
began with Wilson setting the scene.
Loved a girl when I was twelve.
From a book everything’s in
I tore wide ruled pages in pen
and I saved each note in an old box
so one day I could read them again.
But I’ll never feel the way that I felt.
Afterwards Wilson
acknowledged the crowd saying, “You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for being here.” The band quickly continued, offering up “Lost
in the Dark,” “Half way,” and “To Be Imagined” along with an older song, “Quiet
Street.” “Halfway” has also been
receiving airplay, with its three-part harmonies repeating the longing in the
chorus, I could be halfway from anyone. With cheers of recognition during the
introduction, the single “Glowing Mouth” brought the set to conclusion as
Wilson’s falsetto reached new heights --calling out while still hovering above
the band. The measured studio version
became a loosely shared journey, as the audience replied in encouragement. Milagres
is continuing on tour through the end of October, dates here.
 |
| Kyle Wilson works the merch table... |
 |
| Paul chats with bass player Eric Schwortz |
 |
| Taking time for a photo op! |
