Music / Reviews
Review: Smerz, Bristol Beacon – ‘Big city living with lazy pop duo’
A balmy Bristol eve was the ideal night to witness the Big City Life songstresses Smerz in action.
A sold out and stuffy Beacon Lantern Hall was instantly cooled when Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt emerged on stage to embrace the signature wind machines that are synonymous with their sets.
Smerz are integral to the ‘lazy pop’ and trip hop scene of Copenhagen, alongside counterparts like Erika de Casier, Astrid Sonne and ML Buch.
After enjoying ML Buch’s meditative set at Trinity for Saccade Festival a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to the playful and upbeat iteration of Copenhagen lazy pop that Smerz have cultivated.
The Norwegian duo launched the night with their track But I Do, displaying their multidiscipline by switching between vocals, violin, synths and keys. They were accompanied by a guitarist / bassist and a drummer who contrasted the pair’s chicness by keeping his hood up for the whole set.
Overall, Smerz produced sharp, clean sounds, evident on tracks like Roll the Dice and Big City Life that escalated into synthy chaos and aggressive keys. As a result, the crowd went from reed-like swaying to head bopping throughout the performances.
I loved the fan-favourite Easy, a Nirvana-like rendition of a self-torturing lyrical piece, repeating ‘Have I said too much?’ to an anguishing guitar.
Heavy duty fans were necessary in the sweaty confines of the Lantern Hall
The technics and sound of the evening were also impressive. Motzfeldt’s edgy yet angelic vocals were fed through clean autotune and echo effects, sending a Nordic reverb throughout the hall.
Both Stoltenberg and Motzfeldt lay their tracks with intimate, feminine vocals that verge on deadpan, reflecting the ‘heartache’ translation of their name ‘Smerz’, which derives from the Geman word herzschmerz.
They of course closed their set with You Got Time and I Got Money, which was ranked at No.2 in the 100 Best Songs of 2025 by Pitchfork and surfaced the group to the mainstream.
Although it’s considered a tender track of heartbreak in the city, the crowd erupted into a euphoric sing-along with Stoltenberg, who set the ethereal tone for the evening by dancing into the wind machine, the Lantern Hall the perfect venue to host the romantic set design, sound and stage presence of Smerz.
All images: Holly Greenwood
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
