It's common for bands to perform a live radio session in a pared-down manner, but it's not so common for that performance to so drastically affect the character of the songs as to redefine those songs completely. But that's the case with this acoustic session from Band of Skulls, a power trio whose sound is typically described in reference to volume, distortion level and ear-bleeding blues references.
For this session, Band of Skulls approached four songs from their recently released sophomore record, "Sweet Sour," with three acoustic guitars, drastically slowed tempos and reframed vocal arrangements. Here, "Bruises" is no longer an overtly physical sonic swell, but rather a lithe and intimate ebb. The song's message takes a new color as well, becoming a portrait of a beautiful, scarred loner rather than a statement of social defiance.
And so it goes with the other three songs from this session. There is power in the duality of loud and quiet, dark and light. Band of Skulls knows how to harness both sides of this divide.
All photos by Caroline Philippone.
