Corridor, Moth Club, Hackney, London, 4th November 2024 – Back in town, the French Canadian band from Montreal, Québec were joyous back in the carefree t-shirt days of May, they were an absolute delight back in the middle of Summer, how were they going to feel on a damp Monday night in Hackney at the start of November when we’re all wrapped up in several layers and concerned about other things rather than music? They are playing at the top end of our street, at the respectfully maintained Moth Club (do like that the old place has not been messed with too much), the walk to the venue is a touch cold, this is not really a Monday night to be out at a gig, can they do it again? Well they played an early ace once again with Mourir Demain and that epic introduction to one of the finest songs of the year but then they know they can lay that ace down early, they know they that they’ve got more than enough to follow it with. Corridor these days, four albums in, are elegant, it feels very natural, just naturally right, an indefinable elegance, the evolution of it all just feels right, almost effortless in the way it all fits together, in the way it all just works, the way it moves forward.

Corridor have found this balance, a point between a number of musical things, a whole load of ingredients in there with their harmonies, their hints of prog in the with the Kraut rock and the post punk, their West Coast hints which is why they sound almost unique. If they are on the Autobahn then they’re in a classic Citroen and they’re not getting caught up in everyone else’s rush, they are delightful motorik at times, they do it in their own way though, not for them the obvious route. Corridor do sound strangely European, at times breezy, at times focussed, sophisticated and they do have those great hooks that just keep on bursting out time after time. They chime, they’re like a peel of bells, they don’t even appear to be trying that hard, it is all just there, big smiles, chemistry, dealing with any little problem like the airline loosing vital bits of equipment on the flight over without too much of a worry. Everything taken in an easy stride, start of a new tour, not slept for a couple of days, all smiles, just there, scruffy t-shirts, a mess of effects peddles cluttering the stage, joking together, just doing it, a proper working band, joyous, effortless. And those new songs in the middle of the set bode well, this is a band moving forward, a band just getting better and better, a couple of really strong confident new songs in the middle of a set laced with fine tunes suggest the next album will be as strong as this year’s highly recommended Mimi. Of course they could do it on a cold Monday night in November but then we knew that before we set out. A more than welcome return, joyous again, go see Corridor, they’re worth it. (sw)  

Bandcamp / other album links / Facebook / Corridor spend most of Novermber in France

Previously…

ORGAN THING: Corridor at the Shacklewell Arms, London, were such a joy last night, such a bright glowing smiling pleasure of a band…

ORGAN THING: Corridor have just quietly made a really gorgeous album alive with lushness, with gentle motorik undercurrents, with a knowing set of smiles…