Bob Moses gives high energy performance at Paradise Rock Club

It was nearly 11 p.m. on Oct. 20 when Bob Moses, a Canadian electronic live act, appeared on the stage at Paradise Rock Club. The group's sound is more appropriate for a nightclub than for a traditional concert setting, regardless of the fact that it is an actual live band (with a very misleading name), as its music is more similar to that of DJs David August or Nicolas Jaar than of any other rock band. 

Bob Moses might use guitars and drums instead of a turntable, but the band’s music is definitely meant to be danced to.

The show opened with “Like It Or Not”, Bob Moses’ first big hit. The track has a dark, melancholic piano arrangement reminiscent of Radiohead’s “Everything in its Right Place" (2000), though “Like it Or Not” turns into a deep house track somewhere along the one-minute mark. The song is a great way to open the show, not only because it is the first track on the band’s debut album “Days Gone By” (2015), but also because the song is relatively slow compared to other tracks.

The decision for the band to play older, somewhat unknown songs throughout the concert was somewhat surprising to the audience because Bob Moses has only released one full-length album with 10 tracks. For example, after “Like it Or Not,” the band performed “Far From the Tree” from their 2013 EP of the same name. Although it failed to make it into their debut album, “Far From the Tree” is an eight-minute electronic masterpiece and a great complement to “Like it Or Not”. The band also performed “Winter’s Song” from the same EP, a song with a similarly dark sound and a nice buildup.

“Talk,” which centers around a dysfunctional relationship, is arguably one of Bob Moses’ better-known songs. Simple yet confessional, its lyrics — including lines like “But everything will only stay the same / If we won't talk about it” — are what makes the song a great success. Electronic musicians usually neglect to pay attention to lyrics, but band members Tom Howie and Jimmy Wallace are brilliant songwriters. Both seem aware of the fact that they are more able to connect with their audience more through straightforward, unapologetically vulnerable lyrics.

The show ended with “Tearing Me Up,” Bob Moses’ most popular track both on YouTube and Spotify. The song is less electronic and more vocal heavy than other tracks in “Days Gone By,” and Howie’s smoky vocal certainly ends the concert on a high note. Instead of dancing, the audience sang along to “Tearing Me Up,” and suddenly the concert hall turned into a more traditional setting. After “Tearing Me Up,” Bob Moses performed two encore songs, including the single “Too Much Is Never Enough.” “Too Much Is Never Enough” is the perfect encore song; it is less intense than opening tracks “Like It Or Not” or “Talk” and has a bittersweet tone to it.

Although Bob Moses is not very mainstream, even among the indie music scene, the concert was well attended. The band is currently on tour, visiting several cities in the United States and Canada. Blurring the line between live and electronic, rock and deep house, Bob Moses has the potential to join the likes of James Blake and Chet Faker in terms of popularity. Its high-energy performance in Paradise Rock Club indicates that we are likely to hear more from Tom Howie and Jimmy Wallace soon. If their debut album was an indicator of their talent, their current tour undeniably confirms it.