9/11/08 Land Of Talk @ Mercury Lounge, New York, N.Y.

“Holy Shit!” frontwoman Lizzie Powell gleefully exclaimed as the house lights came on briefly. For some reason she was surprised to see the Mercury Lounge crowd was at capacity for this early show and so obviously rapt by Land Of Talk’s presence.

“Holy Shit!” frontwoman Lizzie Powell gleefully exclaimed as the house lights came on briefly. For some reason she was surprised to see the Mercury Lounge crowd was at capacity for this early show and so obviously rapt by Land Of Talk’s presence.

The Nirvana comparisons to this three piece have already been made elsewhere. To say that it’s apt cheats them of the sweetness, care, sense of intimacy and humor they produce on stage.

As Lizzie often alternate tunes her Gibson between songs, she, bassist Chris McCarron and drummer Eric Thibodeau filled the time with well received punch lines.

I hesitate to say this only because it begs to be called cliché: Lizzie Powell appears as a plain Jane tomboy, but that which appears is in fact a rock goddess or, at the very least, a rock goddess in uetero.

On songs such as “Some Are Lakes” off of their upcoming release of the same name, “Summer Special” and “Young Bridge” from their extended EP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, among others, Lizzie’s voice speaks to your bones, converses with your marrow, persuades the new born blood cells produced therein to flow immaculately to your heart and rush to your extremities and head.

The effect is beyond lovely.

And, oh my, do they rock so well. So much so the crowd demanded the headliners overstay their welcome and allotted stage time to play on. The soundman nodded, and Land of Talk obliged.

They will be supporting Broken Social Scene through October and The Stills in the months to come thereafter. Do see them.