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| Photo Credit: @JonMoPhotography/Jon Mo |
Written
by Aurora Krieger
Havvk’s show at Servant Jazz Quarters (6th Dec) is an intimate, cheerful but also moving experience.
Whilst
the band are currently living in Berlin, they formed in London in 2014 and
playing at the Servant Jazz Quarters is a sort of home-coming experience for
them. Inevitably, a lot of friends seem to gather among a very supportive
audience.
Being the
last of the three bands that perform that night (Rookes, After London), they
surge up the energy level in the small room as they start to play their first
song Once Told. This powerful tune set the scene for the first part
of their set, which consists of a series of Havvk’s newer songs (Can’t
Explain, Glass, Keeps Me Out). The mystical mood carried in each song is
artfully led from one to another using pre-recorded interludes, sounding as
abstract as a ticking clock in the distance or a distorted buzzing noise.
In
comparison to the second part of their set in which they perform a couple of
their earlier songs, Havvk’s new songs clearly stand out – not only because
they had the audience enthusiastically singing and swinging along. It appears
that in their more recent releases, they accomplish to develop a more unique
and distinguishable style, relatable to shoegaze which has been an
inspiration in the song-writing process.
Mixing
repeating guitar riffs with thrusting beats, strong reverb and Julie’s heavily
melodic vocals – which can both become ethereal meditation or a perky staccato
– into the potion, they create an intoxicating balance that is both impelling
and easing at the same time.
With
lyrics addressing topics as strong as inequality, gender-preconceptions, and
generalisations faced by different social groups, it would have been
interesting to have heard more about the inspiration behind some of their songs
or in which context they were written.
Halfway
through their set though, Havvk not only share their excitement about launching
their new enticing single Always The Same, but also take the moment
to announce their debut album coming up in 2019.
The gig
almost ends as abruptly as it starts and the audiences’ thirst for more is
noticeably remarkable. Still being in their formative years, the band
experienced some technical issues during their performance, which are handled in
calm and professional manner. And due to the addictive quality of their songs,
those little stumbles are quickly forgiven.
All in
all, Havvk demonstrate their high musical potential and succeed in spreading
the excitement about their album release next year. With music as strong as in
their recent releases, this will be highly anticipated.