By Richard Thompson
While they have always merited praise in the past, tonight IOEarth really do sound like the real deal. Their spacious and sendory-grabbing atmospherics become almost spiritual on a certain level, like the staggering title track of their latest album, “Moments”, the equally impressive “Drifting” and “Cinta Indah”, all intertwining with Dave Cureton’s fret wizardry – it’s compulsive viewing.
Yet in some way, Cureton tonight doesn’t hold court as much; singer Claire Malin and saxophonist/flutist Luke Shingler demand your attention tonight. Wearing a dark cloak and mask, Malin is hard to miss. Later she reveals a long, black evening dress with a low neckline, giving off an air of refinement, before belting out “Home” and the more fragile “Live Your Life (Part 1)”. The inclusion of Shingler ensures a further dimension to their versatile sound. Cureton does have his (excuse the pun) moments of course, especially during the twisting, contagious riff that drives “Storyteller”, and the more straight-ahead rock of “The Creation” and the ever alluring “Harmonix”. Tonight is a crowning success.