Jessica Sparkes
Picture Book: Make A Move
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to the launch of Liverpool band, Picture Book’s new single, “Make a Move.” Picture Book have been making significant waves in Liverpool’s underground music scene for a while now, taking over venues with their visually exhilarating performances and ridiculously loud sound systems.
The new single has a more prominent dance beat and club feel. The track is described as “high-energy, ethereal, dance floor treat,” and I truly believe that it lives up to these claims. The song begins in rather a floaty and ethereal way, which is slightly unusual for a “dance anthem” however, as soon as the bass line drops, you realise why this song is worth listening to. The chorus, is of course what makes this song. It has one of those hook lines that is verging on annoyingly catchy.
If you are not aware of Picture Book, they are a three piece band made up of Faroese lead singer Lady Aya, and brothers Master Toko and Lord HighOwl who hail from New York. Their band set up changes regularly, and the band is as much about the visual performance as it is about the music itself. They creatively use projection, lights and costume, which seems to change and evolve constantly. This element of Picture Book is one of the keys to their local success. They are always bringing their audience a new set up, or a new visual or a new way of performing.
“We want to make people dance, both to the lights and to the music. It’s not about repeating the music, it’s about recreating it and feeling it, visually and spatially,” remarked Lady Aya when I asked about the integral performance side of Picture Book’s musical make up. Having had the good fortune to have seen Picture Book’s live DJ set, I was impressed by the versatility of the band. They understand that to excite their audience that they cannot just plough through a full set of their self-written songs. A mixture of self penned electro anthems and well known songs as far apart as Coldplay’s Yellow and Day and Night by Kid Cudi mean that the audience stays fully engaged, excited and dancing throughout their set. Lady Aya, commands the stage with an delicate presence and a quirky nature which is endearing and captivating. She contrasts Lord HighOwl and Master Toko’s extroverted performance perfectly bringing a balanced amount of energy and composure.
I would advise, at least a listen, if not a purchase of this new single, which I hope will help to break Picture Book into the mainstream. The single is available for download now from iTunes and Amazon and hard copies can be purchased from www.picturebookmusic.com
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