Double Winter<\/a> for a delightfully disorienting show. Palm\u2019s outr\u00e9 time signatures, erratic vocals, and incandescent synths make for a refreshingly novel sound arriving at what can be described as \u201cmathy-Beach Boy-grunge-jazz.\u201d<\/p>\nAlthough the complex tempo changes and musical layers sound like a bunch of technically trained musicians blissfully nerding out, none of the band\u2019s members \u2013 Kasra Kurt (guitar\/vocals), Eve Alpert (guitar\/vocals), Gerasimos Livitsanos (bass), and Hugo Stanley (drums) \u2013 are classically trained. They formed Palm as more or less novices after meeting at Bard College in 2011. However, the band has more than made up for their lack of conventional training by rehearsing for hours on end, resulting in virtuosic experimental playing. If anything, the band\u2019s lack of classic training adds to their novel sound by freeing them from adhering to any set of musical parameters.<\/p>\n
Performing songs from recently-released sophomore album\u00a0Rock Island<\/em> as well as last year’s short-but-sweet\u00a0Shadow Expert<\/em>\u00a0EP, Palm completely captivated the audience with their transcendent sound. The band shows their full musical palette with songs like \u201cComposite,\u201d where Kurt\u2019s Brian Wilson-esque vocals are fragmented by puttering guitar patterns and syncopated drum beats. Instead of attempting to keep up with Palm\u2019s insane changes in tone and time signature, the audience seemed content with falling into a euphoric trance.<\/p>\nIn a world where it\u2019s hard to capture someone\u2019s attention for more than 15 seconds, much less an entire concert, Palm had most in the room hanging on to every last distorted guitar jab.<\/p>\n