Other Lives, XOYO, review: The band prove they get better every time

Other Lives are so utterly engrossed in the music that it takes an effort for them to snap out of it and address the crowd

Other Lives perform on stage at Coachella (Getty Images)

Fresh (or maybe a bit worn out) from Green Man festival, Other Lives amble onto the stage as though they’ve ended up here by accident.

With such a range of instruments in their set that it’s a wonder they get anything done. Jonathon Mooney has a trumpet in one hand and a violin in the other just for the opener (“Dark Horse”), while frontman Jesse Tabish flits between a mic at the front of the stage and another attached to his keyboard.

There’s a distinctly tribal element to the music of Other Lives, in the hefty drum beats that feature on tracks like “Dust Bowl III”.

Josh Onstott’s backing vocals are ethereal, haunting, and add a sweeping, operatic feel. “Old Statues” has members of the audience shivering in delight at the pure drama of it.

The one unfortunate element of the night is the venue itself: there are so many nooks and crannies that the sound virtually disappears to the back of the room.

A few new songs crop up in the mix, with a faster pace and urgency than the more melancholic sound from their 2011 LP Tamer Animals.

The rendition of the title track from said album is stunning: the crowd seem slightly dazed at the finish, as the band prove yet again that they simply just get better every time.