Live Review: Soundfix
By: Becky Firesheets

Rating: 6.5/11

Langhorne Slim and The War Eagles, an animated singer and guitarist backed by drummer Malachi DeLorenzo and upright bassist Paul DeFiglia, started off their Soundfix set with a bluesy, country tune. With no time to waste between songs (due to the jerk neighbors and their noise complaints), Slim kicked off their second with an aggressive guitar rhythm before entering with his pretty yet somewhat gruff singing voice. The band played a country-punk breakdown fit for southern cowboys slappin’ their knees to trendy New Yorkers boppin’ their heads, while Slim screamed and danced around. The audience, packed into Soundfix’ small performance space, loudly cheered while shouting requests and singing along.

In his feather-clad fedora, Slim switched to a more soulful voice for a softer love ballad. The playful lyrics in this and other songs straddled the line between cheesy emo and honest blues, but Slim maintained a strong, energized vibe from start to finish and rarely faltered his wide-ranged vocals.

Reminiscent of The Traveling Willburys and The Pixies simultaneously, The War Eagles showed their mastery of country and rock-n-roll throughout the set. Slim contrasted his smooth voice with a few spot on shouts, sounding more like a rowdy, gruff southerner than a young, hip rocker. The guys also showed their love for funk, letting DeFiglia groove on his upright while DeLorenzo played with brushes and sang with his eyes closed. Though Slim is the main onstage presence, his back up band knows how to break it down.

The War Eagles' engaging music and performance had their diverse crowd, from toddlers to old men, dancing and cheering. Funny sarcasm between songs also added a nice touch to Slim’s persona, especially when his bandmates laughed at the cheesy jokes.  Check out their new album, recently released on Kemado records, or one of their upcoming Philly shows before they kick off a nationwide tour.