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Jul 04, 2014 Thus Owls By Laura Studarus Photography by Laura Studarus

By Monday night, the humidly in Montreal had grown to an ice cream melting high. Of course, makes it tempting to describe Thus Owls’ late night Festival International de Jazz de Montreal set at Club Soda as being like cool breeze. Which is silly—they’re more like flickering flames.

Clears throat. Drops the similes. Pulls out the real descriptions.

Thus Owls are one of those bands that seem ludicrously doomed to be underrated. Ludicrously, because it’s difficult to believe that Swedish/Canadian band’s dramatic and winding pop is so emotionally engaging. Doomed because, let’s face it; pop culture often refuses to award anything intellectual. Between the high concept behind their new album Turning Rocks (featuring the history of frontwoman Erika Angell’s family and hometown), and their theatrical style, the Swedish/Canadian duo aren’t interested in dumbing anything down. Which is what makes their live show so spectacular. Angell’s soprano howl splits the difference between divine and demonic, the band thrashing behind her in time. It’s a performance that skillfully unhinged. You might even say that live they burn like fire.

Sorry, I knew those similes would come back to bite me.

Check out a full gallery of images from Thus Owls set here.

(www.facebook.com/montrealjazzfest)

(www.facebook.com/ThusOwls)