Best known as a late addition to indie-rock “supergroup” The New Pornographers, and before that as a member of Victoria, BC-based indie-rock outfit Immaculate Machine, Kathryn Calder has embarked on a burgeoning solo career over the past couple of years, developing a distinctive indie-pop aesthetic that bears only an occasional passing resemblance to her other bands’ trademark sounds. On Thursday night, Calder showcased her melodic, accessibly-introspective songcraft and winsome vocal talents during a fifty-minute performance that charmed a small but appreciative crowd at IOTA.
Guitarist/vocalist Ryan Beattie played a slow-building opening set as Himalayan Bear before returning as the lead guitarist in Calder’s tight three-piece backing band. The headlining set began with two selections from 2010’s Are You My Mother? — the plaintive “All It Is” and the rousing “Castor and Pollux” — followed by “Turn a Light On,” a gorgeously lilting folk song from 2011’s aptly-titled Bright and Vivid that spotlit the expressive range of Calder’s gently evocative voice. Next up came the new single “Who Are You?,” which offered an upbeat electro-pop vibe punctuated by Calder’s lively keyboards and Stefan Bozenich’s throbbing bass lines, Marek Tyler’s dynamic percussion work proving a welcome substitute for the recorded track’s electronic beats.
With most of the audience staying seated throughout and the musicians freely bantering with each other and with fans, the concert had the casual, intimate feel of a coffee house show, especially during Calder’s solo rendition of “Arrow,” a wistful ballad that seemed to gain poignancy when stripped down to its vocal-and-keyboard core. The backing musicians returned for “Slip Away,” joining in on the wordless vocal melodies of the song’s spirited choruses before a stirring rendition of “Day Long Past Its Prime” brought the performance to a semi-anthemic crescendo. The set was short but satisfying, leaving Calder ample time afterward to fraternize engagingly with fans who will likely be following her ongoing artistic maturation with renewed interest.
