Austinist Show Review: Aqualung @ McCullough Theater

Aqualung, based in London, seems to have several permutations, all of which center around lead vocalist, Matt Hales. At Waterloo, he was solo with only his piano and he sounded truly amazing. At ACL, he was more rocked out with a full band and still sounded great. Last night, it was just him and his brother, Ben. Matt (we sat so close and the space was so intimate, surely we’re on a first name basis?) plays piano and acoustic guitar, which he endearingly called “geetar” in his charms-our-pants-off-every-time-no-matter-what-he-says British accent. (hot flash!) Matt also sings lead vocals and seems to do the lion’s share of the songwriting.

His brother Ben, also adorable, played both electric and acoustic “geetars” and sang back-up vocals and harmonies to great effect. At one point, Ben also busted out and played a crazy looking blue plastic instrument which we had never seen and will probably never know what it was. It sounded kind of like an accordion, and it appeared to have a keyboard on it, but it was much smaller than an accordion and was played by blowing into a long flexible plastic tube. Very odd. Maybe they’re big in England, who knows?

Anyhow, the show itself was wonderful. Aqualung only has one record out in the U.S. – Strange and Beautiful and they played each song off that album interspersed with a couple of new songs they’re working on for an upcoming album, as well as a Brian Wilson cover from Pet Sounds, which Matt claimed is one of his very favorite records of all times. Critics frequently refer to Aqualung as a Coldplay follower (usually in a good way) and it’s easy to see why, but we think Aqualung’s melodies and lyrics are even better than Coldplay in many ways. The songs on Strange and Beautiful are lyrically and melodically poignant and earnest in a way that is genuinely moving. Most are melancholy with underlying themes of acceptance to temper the sadness. We think one of the most sadly gorgeous lyrics we’ve ever heard is “sometimes, the last thing you want comes in first; sometimes the first thing you want never comes” from the title track. Ouch. Think about that one without getting weepy.

Matt and Ben were able to work together to play songs that were hauntingly intricate, instrumentally and vocally. Many of them moved from a passionate wall of sound to a soft, tender ballad in a way that took the audience along very effectively. We don’t quite know how to describe the music other than saying that it’s good stuff. Sad and rich enough to move you and likely choke you up, with just enough hope to keep you from slitting your wrists. It’s lovely, really.

And aside from the music, one of the best things about seeing Aqualung live is getting to see Matt’s charming manner that makes you just want to jump up on stage and, um, hug him. [*Editorial note: Yes, ‘hug’ ….] He’s young and cute and so darn endearing. His self-deprecating and understated humor had the crowd laughing in spite of the sadness that pervades many of his songs. He talked about how he was with a larger band at ACL Festival, but that the current tour is in smaller venues with just him and his brother. He referred to it as “the intimate duo” tour and then earnestly noted that made them sound like some kind of pathetic superheroes. How could anyone not like this guy? And that accent – don’t get us going… He was also incredibly gracious and seemed genuinely pleased to be there and grateful for the crowd’s response to his music. Anyone else might have seemed corny expressing this effusive gratitude, but Matt could pull it off and it just made him seem even sweeter and more huggable. Ben, who said nary a word, seemed to have a natural dynamic with his brother that worked really well and added very subtly at times to the humorous inter-song musings of Matt. We could share specifics with you, but it was mostly the “had to be there” kind of stuff that wouldn’t be funny if we recounted it so you’ll just have to take our word for it.

The bottom line is: great show and great venue. If you weren’t there, you missed a good one. Not that we’re trying to rub it in or anything…