The Story of O

Thursday night, I was at the Music Gallery for two bands: Ozere and The O'Pears. Both acts were natural fit for the intimate acoustic of this working church. Ozere opened the evening with some "classical folk". Mandolin, cello, violins, and voice evoked Celtic folk, middle eastern scales, and classical harmonies. They also did a few more pop numbers include a cover of Cat Stevens' Doris.

For their debut release show, The O'Pears, normally a trio of singers, has recruited a full backing band. They ran through most of songs from Like Those Nights including Long Winter, Suffering Fool, and Hard Bargain. They also did some "old material", which for these young women was all the way back in 2012. The music ranged from folk, to blues, to even hints of gospel. What tied it all together was their strong and intricate harmony. In fact, I thought their strongest numbers was just them. This was mostly because the mid-tempo pop-ish arrangements for the band were a bit middle-of-the-road and dull.

Young, photogenic, and talented, The O'Pears would probably be more well-known already if they had pop leanings. But if First Aid Kit and Lennon and Maisy can build successful careers, these women should have a good shot.