When reviewing The Hundredth Anniversary’s new album Sea State Pictures, I referred to them as being a band who can soothingly send you into a state of ‘musical euphoria’. After seeing the same album performed live at tonight’s album launch show at The Hope & Ruin, I can confirm that the same words can be applied, and has solidified my feelings that The Hundredth Anniversary are a band that you cannot afford to be ignoring.

Kicking things off tonight are Breathe Panel, who’s dreamy vibes fill the room with a refreshing ambiance that makes for a tremendous start to the evening. There is already a sizeable crowd and they respond well to the band, tracks such as ‘On My Way’ are performed incredibly well and demonstrate the caliber of high quality talent that is coming out of Brighton today. TEEFF are up next and make for one of the most aesthetic performances I’ve come across in a very long time. It is amazing what four simple flashing lightbulbs can do to a solo performance. TEEFF’s combination of systematic light flashes and ethereal electronica make for true spectacle and keep the feel-good waves flowing.

The room has now fully filled to capacity so, for an album launch party, The Hundredth Anniversary can already come away being more than happy. Accompanied by a series of fairy lights, the band begin to play and the euphoria immediately infects the room, kicking things off with the spoken words in ‘The Outside In’. The band sound tight and, as the song continues and grows, it features some of the best precision drumming I have ever witnessed. Drummer, Dem, is not only one of the best technical drummers I’ve ever seen, but her level of passion with every single beat is phenomenal and makes for a fantastic watch that really brings each track to life.

The thing I perhaps enjoy and admire most about The Hundredth Anniversary is the fact that the best way to appreciate their performance is not to consider each song as an individual track, but to instead see each as part of a holistic whole. Each song blends perfectly with the last to create an overall performance which is incredibly fulfilling. Even vocalist, Eleanor Rudge, doesn't aim to fill the spotlight like many vocalists strive for, instead her softly spoken vocals are added as yet another intricate detail of the performance, whilst the heavy instrumentation drives the rest of the show. This being said, every track is easily strong enough to hold their own, ‘After I Was Thrown In The River’ is a great example of this style of songwriting and the track’s emphasis on heavy, yet soothing guitar, building the track to a crescendo, works perfectly with Eleanor’s soothing vocals.

Despite not taking the full spotlight, Eleanor’s vocals are in no way limited and, whilst a few nerves can be heard in the opening numbers, her confidence grows and she is able to deliver some fantastically executed notes where appropriate. Her powerful tones within ‘I’m Dead, I’m Dead’ are marvellous and, as the track builds up to get another crescendo, each member’s talents come into their own light once again. The level of detail behind every number in the set is brilliant, whether it be the use of bass chords, a technique which is typically rather hard to incorporate well in any track, Dem’s shredding drums or the cloudy riffs from the lead guitar, every aspect seems to work symbiotically with one another and makes for a sound which is simply indescribable.

As the set does begin to come to a close, you can see that the audience are also encapsulated by the transient sounds as they demand an encore in such a chant that it is deafening. Eleanor states she is stunned by the level of support and the band end with ‘You Wrote Home’. The slower track acts as a great closure to the evening before heading into one final cataclysmic demonstration of sound.

In short, I love this band, and seeing them live has only grown my love for them. The Hundredth Anniversary have already been able to perform with the likes of Wolf Alice and Lower Dens and I truly feel that Sea State Pictures has the potential to give The Hundredth Anniversary a name of a similar size. I can see big things for this band and I can’t wait to see the direction they head in as they continue to develop their heavenly sounds.
Ben Walker

Photo by Michael Hundertmark

Read our review of their album Sea State Pictures here: brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/music/2149-the-hundredth-anniversary-sea-state-pictures

Website: thehundredthanniversary.com
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