Live Review: Longwave at Mercury Lounge [New York, 09.07]

Longwave's best song, and coincidentally one they didn't play, is called "Wake Me When It's Over." Unfortunately, this title is far more applicable to the sleepy, un-memorable opening set from The Dead Trees. Coming on the heels of two high-energy, low-concept bands The Shackeltons and Eagle*Seagull, The Dead Trees took the best elements of neo-Beatles era Brit-pop, tied them down and shoved 40 Tylenol PM in their mouth. Luckily, Longwave did remember to wake us when The Dead Trees were done.

The trouble was, what were we getting up for? Longwave was definitely louder and tipped their caps to a different set of influences and they certainly explored the highest possible (tonal) reaches of the fret board. But what? So what? Maybe nothing. Maybe we got up for nothing.

By my unofficial count, Longwave has between three and five good songs. They even played one of them: the uplifting and completely defensible "Tidal Wave." With it's charmingly honest pre-chorus, "I am everything you wanted/I am everything you need," the band is either being extremely prescient or extremely arrogant. So now you tell me what I want? And you know what I need? Have you been reading my diary, Longwave? Do you know that I watched and enjoyed Sandra Bullock in The Lake House? Is there anything else you want to tell me?

But secrets or no secrets, the band shares itself just enough. The lead-guitarist could pass for the lead-singer of the Secret Machines if the lead-singer of the Secret Machines was a competitive lumberjack. The only electric personality on stage belongs to Longwave's front-man. Looking just a touch like Britt Daniel, he pushes and gestures a little like a rock star. But there's nothing unheard of here. Just very decent college rock from a very, very decent college rock band.

And like a lot of things in college, sometimes you wake up for shit and sometimes you don't. Either way, I'm not positive it matters. Now give me some Percocet and let me go back to sleep.

[Tiny picture courtesy of MySpace]