My good pal and excellent scribe, Dane Smith, offered to cover the Rilo Kiley show in Asheville on Friday but came away more impressed with openers Art in Manila. Here’s his front line report:

One of my favorite things about indie rock has always been the ever confusing, often misguided, yet occasionally breathtaking collaborations and musical marriages that spring from side projects
and break-ups. Art in Manila is one of the latest and greatest. Led by Orenda Fink, formerly of Azure Ray, and featuring Adrianne Verhoeven of the now defunct Lawrence, Kansas quintet The Anniversary, Art in
Manila specialize in melodic, wistful tunes that leave you nostalgic for something or sometime that you just can’t place. Haunting piano, fluid vocal harmonies, and the undeniable melancholy of tracks like “Time Gets Us All” are hallmarks of Fink’s previous work, but Art in Manila also come into their own with more aggressive tracks like “Our Addictions” and the eerie acoustic gem “The Sweat Descends.” Cohesive, interesting and tasteful, Set the Woods On Fire is an impressive debut. You can catch Art in Manila on tour supporting Rilo Kiley through the end of October.

Art in Manila - Set the Woods On Fire

Art in Manila - The Abomination

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