Comprised of lead guitarist Benjamin Curtis (formerly of SecretMachines) and former on!air!library! identical twinsAlejandra Deheza (guitar/vocals) and Claudia Deheza (keyboard/vocals), School of Seven Bells kept the audience mesmerized for over an hour at their show with the xx Friday night. Theyplayed 11 tracks, seven from their debutrecord Alpinisms, including "Connjur," and "Half Asleep." "Connjur" has a sweeping instrumental build-up that's broken down by the choppy delivery of the girls'angelic, albeit slightly robotic, vocals. "Half Asleep" is all heaven-sentharmonies, and features a delicious beat drop. Granted, both songs are best experienced in a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of drunken dancing in the Music Hall of Williamsburg, but, live, they contained a spontaneity and texture beyond the disc's capabilities.

SVIIB seemed most interested in creating a multi-sensory experience. The band rarely spoke, and every song was accompanied by images projected on a whitebackdrop behind the threesome. Visuals included a waterfall in reverse, a rotating spherecontaining safari shapes before a sunset, Buddha statues, andRorschach-inspired brain melting pics. Even neaterwere their crisp, black shadows cast on the canvas.

All three musicianswere on point, seemingly tapped into one another, never missing a beat (save for Alejandra losing her guitar strap at one point). Front and center, practically hoisting himself onstage, anavid devotee jammed his ass off the entire time. He looked as ifhe were warming up for a boxing match and, grinning ear-to-ear, he made a beeline at the end of the band's set to snatch thehandwritten set list. I can't imagine a happier camper.

Photos by: Pearse Daly