I stay home in Ottawa because travelling to venues was an ordeal. But the show ($25) on Monday was downtown and should only take 30 minutes on transit. I arrived at Club Saw about 15 minutes after doors. The space was full with young folks pressed up right against the stage.
Opener Jahmeema, accompanied by her beau Matt Evans on keys, was a bit jazz-pop and a bit R'n'B. Still quite young at 25, she played new songs (some were written this year) and older ones that she wrote at 17. How were her prospects? After nearly a decade of performing in in a small, local scene, I don't see any big breaks. Her music lacked the catchy hooks and melodies of pop and her lyrics were too wordy for the genre. But the verses didn't have the clever wordplay and flow of good R'n'B. I wonder how her French songs compared.
This was Mei Semones first ever show in Ottawa on her way to the larger Montreal JazzFest. But she already had a large fan-base here. I saw her KEXP show on Youtube and was impressed by the band's virtuosity including her speedy guitar riffs. Like Laufey, Semones drew inspiration from Bossa Nova, but she amped it up with muscular bass and drums, segueing into head-banging (light) rock, and added a touch of chamber pop. This was especially true near the end of her set with the early "hits". The middle third, when Semones showcased almost 15 minutes of new material, was more experimental. My only complaint (as I am a sucker for catchy tunes or driving rhythms), was that the music seemed to change every 8 bars. This gave variety and was interesting for a few songs. But over the course of an hour, this tendency was both too random and yet also boringly repetitive. If Semones (and her band) channeled their talent on more cohesive compositions, I'd be on board.
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