Lahoya @ Barfly

Lahoya's logo consists of a stick figure carrying a single flower, lingering next to the outline of a gravestone - an illustration that corresponds to the alternating, and integrated, touches of wispy sensibility and the solid, darker presences of their tracks. Live performances can quite often focus on the dark - extracting the subtle and increasing the volume - to the detriment of the more hidden, and generally softer, impulses traversing the compositions. Not so, however, with Lahoya, whose act tonight enhances the impact of their music without losing its subtleties. This is especially evident during 'Hurt Me', a new piece, and 'Sunday', both noticeable works containing dense tones and a propensity to soar: a quality which, rather than muffled and hinted at, becomes assertive , while remaining playful. [Apollo Fabienne]