Money at the Lexington

Mancunian quartet Money, led by vocalist Jamie Lee, have captivated audiences with their “dystopian choral” rock music, and last night saw the Lexington play host to the band’s first of two November shows, with a set featuring brand-new tracks from their second album Suicide Songs, due to be released in early 2016.

Opening the night was You Look Like a Sad Painting on Both Sides of the Sky, which they previewed before tonight’s show, with a moving quality to the live performance that evenly matched the record. With the addition of a violin and cello, and going against the usual verse-chorus structures, the propulsion of this song drifted smoothly like gentle ripples of ocean water; their usual regular crescendos and falsetto stretches provided some musical narrative and tension. However, the lack of grandeur compared to their previous material meant that their new work was hard to find memorable.

Money clearly place a strong importance on capturing the title, thoughts and ideas of every song through beautiful melodic, harmonic and textural craft. This was particularly pronounced in Night Came, which also features in their upcoming album. The rippling reverb-laden soundscape, harmonic simplicity and a structure shaped by a gradual, epic crescendo all evoked the minimalist and emotional quality of Sigur Rós. By contrast, the lonesome façade of Suicide Song, involving Lee and his woozy guitar effects, portrayed the introspection of the title to a convincing scale. Perhaps both songs were a testament to how the simplest musical language can create immense sonic and emotional power.

Old favourites also made an appearance, including their great hit Hold Me Forever. The venue reverberated with the song’s spiritual overtones, conjured up by glittering guitar lines, angelic vocal melodies and spacious synths and strings (evoking a touch of The Verve–esque grandeur). Equally expressive and heavenly were The Shadow of Heaven and Letter to Yesterday, creating an ambience worthy of a greater setting.

MONEY filled an intimate venue with majestic tunes that were moving and persuasive in both music and narrative. Backed by warm support, they are arguably bound for greater success in the future.

Isaku Takahashi

For further information about MONEY and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Hold Me Forever here: