Revolver

Revolver
@ The Grog Shop, Cleveland OH, March 4
by Andrew Clayman
Published in The Cleveland Scene, March 2011



Named for the Beatles album rather than the firearm, no one would confuse the French trio Revolver with anything of a particularly loud or violent nature. The band’s 2008 debut EP, Pop de Chambre, was almost whispery soft— weaving together the timid earnestness of Elliott Smith (if English were his second language) and the skintight harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel. 2009’s full-length effort Music for a While fleshed out the arrangements a bit, utilizing the classical training of single-named band members Ambroise, Christophe, and Jérémie (nope, it doesn’t get any more French than Ambroise, Christophe, and Jérémie).

At times, the band’s transparent obsession with 1966 can be more than a little limiting, but there’s no denying their hook writing skills (see “Leave Me Alone” and “Get Around Town”), nor the on-stage charm they’ve picked up from the artsy young Frenchmen handbook. As a welcome development, Revolver’s live show has also gotten a wee bit more raucous of late, as they’ve added a touring drummer and a little more electric guitar into the mix. This current North American jaunt will likely see the band working out the kinks on new material for their yet-to-be-released second LP.