With the unholy trinity—summer, a Sunday, and the FIFA World Cup Final—all working against any band hoping to draw a crowd, it was no surprise that Glimmer’s first Bristol show was sparsely attended. The NYC outfit has been quickly gaining traction in the city’s underground scene with their self-styled “grungegaze” sound. But on this occasion, only a few lovers of all things fuzzy descended into Exchange’s basement space to catch a clutch of noisemakers rather than see if Messi would find glory once again.
We first caught local support act Racehorse, a trio combining the pop-punk and post-hardcore elements of Jawbreaker with a deceptively catchy cover of ska outfit The Beat. Omar Ramlugon wove tight riffs from his Gibson SG, while bassist Harry Wood brought an easy charm to his playing. Together, they made for a scrappy, earnest, and a great warm-up.
Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for lo-fi noise-rock outfit Thinking With Sand, who were, frankly, unlistenable. I’m sure Exchange’s main stage and a dedicated soundman might have helped cut through the roar. Though in this setting, the wall of sound felt disconnected and rough rather than epic and elevating. A couple of songs out of British politeness was all my ears could handle, even with earplugs.
Such an audio assault put the fear into me that Glimmer wouldn’t be able to communicate the impressively tight production of last year’s debut, Get Weak. A huge slab of crunch and melody, the album harkens back to the colossal production of the likes of Butch Vig. Would it all fall apart into a Jazzmaster-led mess in this dark little room?
For the uninitiated, Glimmer are the Brooklyn/Hudson Valley outfit built around vocalist and guitarist Jeff Moore, with Jaye Moore on drums, Johnny Nicholls on guitar, and Kevin Dobbins on bass. They are fixtures on the NYC circuit, cutting their teeth at TV Eye and Sour Mouse, as well as festivals like The New Colossus.
Luckily, Jeff Moore and co, armed with ample amounts of Amstel lager, slid into 45 minutes of hazy jams with laid-back NYC cool. Sweet melodies added all-important hooks to the vibes, showcasing why Glimmer are making a name for themselves in an increasingly overcrowded genre.
Were they putting out anything groundbreaking? No. Were they bringing back the ’90s with aplomb and some great tunes? 100%. The band whizzed through their debut album, locking in instantly on every number. Meanwhile, drummer Jaye Moore kept the dreamy songs anchored with propulsive kit work.
Highlights included “Slow Saturday” (hey, one day off), “Bloom,” and “Homesick.” The crowd, modest as it was, was soon swaying and lost in the worlds they were making. A few days into their UK leg and 12 days into their international tour in total, they were already running out of merch, and I could see why. There’s an emotive warmth to their tunes that just begs you to revisit them.
Touring ain’t always glamorous. And a band on their first tour has to contend with an oddly empty room. But to be fair, Glimmer seemed genuinely grateful to everyone who came out. For Europeans especially, this was something close to a religious holiday. They came, they played, and they confirmed why they’re a band worth watching. I left Exchange still humming “Been Down.”