October 16, 2009

Live Review: Fool's Gold

The Roxy Theater // Los Angeles, CA // Oct. 9, 2009

Fool's Gold


When considering the standard structure of a band, it typically evokes the mental image of four people, each solely responsible for a customary instrument of choice. However, the scene presented before my eyes at the renown Roxy Theater in West Hollywood was anything but ordinary: 10 eclectic musicians descended from various musical backgrounds, joining together to produce an incredibly full, worldly sound.


Fool's Gold


Lead singer Luke Top possessed an entrancingly melodic voice that smoothly transitioned between English and Hebrew throughout the course of Fool’s Gold’s set; yet, he did so with such relative ease that you found yourself becoming lost in the music, unable to distinguish one harmonious language from the next. This duality provided a compelling cohesiveness to Fool’s Gold’s afrobeat sound. The song “Nadine” stuck out particularly to me because of its beautiful arrangement: the bass and various percussion instruments provided a strong foundation, while the robust saxophone elicited Top’s effortlessly nimble vocals.


Fool's Gold


Another highlight of the night was their single “Surprise Hotel,” which commenced with an overwhelmingly catchy guitar riff followed by lyrics sung entirely in Hebrew that resonated off the walls of the Roxy, generating a satiated, hearty sound. I found myself in complete awe of the refreshing ingenuity of the band that stood before me and they possessed a sound that was hard to bracket into a specific genre. There were elements of African tribal music, along with rock and pop roots that resulted in something simply their own. Fool’s Gold provided an intimate, distinctive experience that should be witnessed in person to truly grasp the richness and fullness of their rhythmic beat.

-Review and photos by Becky Moine

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