Few modern-day Montreal bands have commanded the respect or enjoyed the staying power of frown line. Fronted by Annika Devlin, this indie rock act has been a mainstay of the city\u2019s music scene for years, with steady local growth alongside a meteoric rise online and on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now sporting a partially new lineup of Jacob Barton on guitar, Jack Moore on drums, and Juan Jimenez on bass, Frown Line has honed in on their signature sound even further, delivering a masterful set to an eager Casa del Popolo crowd on Thursday night at POP Montreal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This show marked the end of frown line\u2019s last tour, and you could tell they\u2019d put in the hours over the past few weeks. Every moment is crafted meticulously. Passages on guitar from Barton charge into the mix for a few measures, then slink away to make space for another choppy, headbang-inducing moment between Jimenez and Moore on the rhythm side. Devlin\u2019s voice is as angelic and heartbreaking as ever, even-keeled and always, ALWAYS on key, no matter how rapturous the instrumental gets.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having seen frown line play a number of times now, I\u2019m continuously impressed by their consistency. Every song is tuned to perfection, mindfully arranged, and played within an inch of its life, with Devlin\u2019s steady, pressing energy driving the entire affair forward. While the new frown line-up isn\u2019t a reinvention by any means, there are moments where it begins to teeter into something darker and heavier, a sound I\u2019d love to see them experiment more with. Whether you\u2019re new to the ways of frown line or if it\u2019s just been a while since you caught a set, they\u2019re absolutely worth catching in this new form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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