Camera Obscura at the Orange Peel

A subdued crowd of teenage hipsters and tattooed 20-somethings turned out to the Orange Peel in force last Thursday, June 3, for the indie downer-pop of Scotland’s Camera Obscura, who apologized early in the set for being a bit draggy.

“We’re still getting used to the heat,” mused singer/guitarist Tracyanne Campbell after breaking the room’s heart with “Keep It Clean,” from 2003’s Underachievers Please Try Harder. “If we seem a bit sluggish, it’s because we’re slugs.”

Donning retro black sundresses with white polka dots, Campbell and keyboardist Carey Lander continued pulling heartstrings for the rest of the night, resurrecting loves lost with gentle, doo wop-y melodies of longing and rejection over the subtle harmonies and reverb laden guitar leads of guitarist Kenny McKeeve, occasionally joined by the haunting trumpet of Tim Cronin. But as the crowd looked on with empathy and adoration, the mood wasn’t melancholy, but more nostalgic.

For their part, the band was chatty and playful, joking about Indian Food and engaging the crowd at every turn. And while Camera Obscura rolled through a mixed bag of old and new that clearly aimed to please, it was apparent from the distant smiles and attentive glares that they had.

Here are some photos from Halima Flynt.

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