BAEBLE CONCERTS: Clare and the Reasons at Le Poisson Rouge

It all begins at a sort of stand still. There is Clare, her vintage vocals lightly pirouetting in a current kicked up by a plume of billowy guitar chords and breezy bits of electric piano. Then, as if gently shaken inside a snow globe, the Reasons powder her craft with a fitting flurry of their own. The elements precipitating here? Why it's the very same string quartet from our previously released My Brightest Diamond show, of course.

Suddenly, it's a percolating kind of pop being delivered; one that draws on mild, syncopated leads and glassy harmonies for a classic, pre-war kind of sound. Light, goofy, and incredibly amusing, Clare and the Reasons work their way through this set like the charming lounge lizards they truly are. Also worth noting is the flashy brigade of not-to-be-taken-too-seriously, red outfits. Ay Chiwawa! - David Pitz