Twin Shadow he may be, but it’s the split musical personality of Dominican born, Florida raised George Lewis Jr that chimes the loud and strong. And it’s by popular demand that the first European leg of the Eclipse world tour is relocated from the tighter confines of XOYO in Shoreditch to the increased capacity of Village Underground.
It’s a showbiz start. A lone silhouette emerges (get it?) under cover of a dimly lit haze of blue, before swinging the guitar over his shoulder, closing in on the mic and pausing. He waits. And waits. A quiet stasis of anticipation grips the room for what feels like eternity - subtle theatrics that only exacerbate an already baying crowd. Darkness beams into light and with it our B-movie pop heroin breaks into opening track, ‘The One’ - an acoustic rendition exercising his rangy vocals from the tender and vulnerable to clarion bursts and powerful rasps.
Before the tune’s end, the band members scuttle on and take positions on bass, drums and keys. The band erupts into action with the explosion of punk-rocker ‘Five Seconds’. Anthemic, boisterous and infectious: fans fist pumping while Lewis Jr beats his chest to the deeply resonating words “you don’t believe in me / so how could you make me cry?”.
Tonight is littered with new tracks from the forthcoming album, which, although unfamiliar to the crowd, caught on well – a testament to his classic pop melodicism. But it’s his off-piste pop slaloming that really compels: the victorious 80s stadium belter of new single ‘To the Top’, the sing-along grooves of fans’ favourite ‘Golden light’, the dark cityscape vibes of ‘Castles in the Snow’ and the sun-flecked house roller ‘Old Love’ – a repertoire successfully unified through a diverse and innovative palette.
