Rosemary

Rosemary

The rootsy sensibility of the France-based quintet Moriarty reflects its members’ far-flung origins, which, in addition to France, includes the US, Switzerland, and Vietnam. In fact, once you absorb the more obvious influences–folk, country, blues, and some trad Irish–the music feels sui generis, or, at least, confounding of convention. Their latest album is a “soundtrack” of what appears to be a non-existent film about “Puss’n Boots,” except that all the songs are more famous for being from other “soundtracks” (mostly operas and musicals). Bizet’s “La Habanera” is done as a Delta blues and “I Feel Pretty” as a kind of kindercore ditty. Though the instrumental component is clever and technically adept, it’s Rosemary Stanley’s vocals that make the strongest impression. Possessing a classically bell-like soprano, phrasing as eccentric as the young Joni Mitchell, and a sense of humor that I still haven’t fully processed, Stanley slathers all the rustic textures with her urban intelligence.

They were perfect for the small Gypsy Avalon stage during an evening lull in the precipitation. The band is mostly acoustic, and they can crowd around Stanley when harmonies are needed, forming a tight knot of music that reminded me of the fist of power that Crazy Horse forms when Neil Young gets smokin’. What’s surprising about their live show is how readily they boogie, which adds an unexpected frisson to their weird and funny tales of buffalo piss and ten-year-old girls who are determined to become soldiers. One line I didn’t quite connect to anything concrete but loved nonetheless: “It was the first time he had a decaf.”

Or the robot song, which they localized. After Stanley sang about “wanting a robot,” the buys echoed, “roboto hoshi.” In the incredibly relevant “White Man,” they gave the evil caucasian a Nissan to drive. Whether or not the crowd understood the dry, left-field humor, they connected immediately to the music, which was rootsy without being doctrinnaire. This was the second show they’ve played so far, and they’re scheduled for at least two more. I’m sure they’ll have a lot more friends by the end of the weekend.

Photo: Funabashi