Review: Maribou State, O2 Academy – ‘A jubilant, resilient re-up’

Optimism seems rare nowadays, but Maribou State’s tunes have wads of it. After an extended hiatus, the electronic duo are back with Hallucinating Love, and their current tour translates radiant recordings into a toe-tapping, two-stepping live experience.

The long wait for this jubilant re-up in part resulted from Chris Davids’ diagnosis with Chiari malformation — a rare brain condition affecting focus, sleep, and mental health.

Thankfully he’s coming out the other side. And the rays at the end of the tunnel are evident in this new beginning — here, now — packed with infectious beats and a sense of fresh life.

Throughout the set, Davids mostly helms the guitar to turn out the duo’s distinctive and delightful alt-pop melodies. Across from him, Liam Ivory leads on samples and synths with laser-like precision.

So yeah, there’s been anticipation aplenty. And Hallucinating Love delivers. It’s a roaring body of textured electronica fit for road trips, living room kickbacks and all sorts else besides.

 

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The success of Portraits a decade ago and Kingdoms In Colour a few years later amassed a following that’s laid bare on the O2 Academy dancefloor. Hallucinating Love offers no cataclysmic deviation from those two releases, but that’s just fine. It’s a soul-tinged, sunny sound all the same.

Togetherness amid the chaos. The album cover shows it, and each track they play embodies it in some capacity. Otherside has the euphoric chanted bridge of “I feel I’m getting stronger by now”. Bloom is an aptly named tune with delicate guitars soon shifting to a raucous drum solo and driving synths.

There’s plenty of variety too. The soft, yearning, echoey vocals of All I Need pave the way for Dance on the World. That one doesn’t mess about — a thrashy festival of sound with purple strobes casting streaks on the audience.

Talulah Ruby replaces frequent collaborator Holly Walker as vocalist for this show, and does a sterling job

Technical difficulties mar the set’s momentum, but are soon forgotten. Roars meet their words — “Thank you for your patience while we were away” — and we’re back into it. Gratitude rivals optimism for musical warmth; you’ve every sense Maribou State are just happy to be back on the circuit.

Throughout, tour vocalist Talulah Ruby is brilliant in place of frequent collaborator Holly Walker. Some of the more sonorous soul is missing, but she has all the power for Steal and Midas, shining a light on their status as Maribou State staples.

Vocal layering is a key ingredient in the duo’s oeuvre. Some sections soar. Others are distorted or atmospheric. Glasshouses is a divine medley of all the above. It’s perhaps the pinnacle of an all-round winning set. Ruby’s voice is textured within a fascinating backing track — its tones are faintly reminiscent of the Lata Mangeshkar samples on Four Tet’s Morning/Evening.

While Ruby is a dynamic focal point, the energy doesn’t drop when she takes her leave at the set’s climax

There’s something odd about the gap at the front of the stage when Ruby’s not there, but the energy doesn’t drop. Perhaps the most danceable 15-minute stretch features chopped samples, laser synths and rich instrumentation.

In no small part, this period showcases Jonny Cade as the jewel in the crown — an exquisite drummer with rim clicks crispier than a frozen pork scratching.

From the hummy, groovy beat of Vale early in the set through to the fuzzy melody of encore Blackoak, it’s clear Maribou State are in the feel-good business. Given the events of the past few years, they’ve added a fair slice of resilience to the already elated sound. People are here for it.

All images: Samuel Fletcher

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