The Strugglers at the Living Room

Good times Saturday night when the Strugglers made a rare NYC appearance at the Living Room. My understanding is that they are recently returned from a swing through Europe (not bad!), but they were in New York to help former bandmember Lauren Moskowitz ring in her birthday. The result: a treat of a show (with Lauren sitting in on keys) and a gift for us all.

If you haven't heard the Strugglers, they're worth checking out. With a voice in the vain of Will Oldham, Randy Bickford sings some very well-composed songs that may not open any new doors for you, but they will fill up the room. My personal favorite, "Jonathan," was their encore. A nice touch, they must have known I was coming.

Now, this was the first time I'd seen the Strugglers, though I do have their most recent album, The Latest Rights. Therefore, take this criticism as you will. Still, my understanding is that there is no keyboard in the band, now that Lauren is no longer with them. Personally, I just can't see how that works. Bickford's voice is tender, his delivery vulnerable. However, his guitarist (sorry, don't know his name) plays his axe with some heft. His solos are muscular, providing a sometimes harsh counterpoint to Bickford's more sedate delivery. Again, just one man's opinion, but I think the keyboards really helped balance out the sound. They complemented the vocals and allowed the guitar to roam a bit freer and do it's thing.

That said, these guys are good. There are a million indie bands, doing the alt-country thing or the garage thing or even attempting the avant-garde thing. A lot of them feature strong musicians, but honestly, the world is littered with talented out-of-work musicians. It's the songwriting the will make or break them. The Strugglers may sound like any number of respectable bands, but they write and play really good songs. Hopefully, they'll keep playing them for a long time.