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Exalting to prominence by producing a catchy remix of an already catchy song is a golden strategy. Remix Kanye West’s song (“Flashing Lights”) and you’re thrust from the outer orbits of musical obscurity into the star’s own atmosphere. But Munroe is no Icarus and isn’t tempted by Kanye’s glare, instead working on his own material with a supporting guitarist and crafting a huge but definitively pop-oriented sound. He has remixed U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” too, though.
Delivering power-pop with panache, Munroe played drums standing while also handling all vocal duties, occasional keyboards, and other samples and knickknacks. Strangely, he used plastic xylophone mallets the whole time (breaking one in the process) but probably in case he wanted to play his idle set of bells. His guitarist, playing both acoustic and electric, was incredibly solid and versatile, either strumming gentler phrases or singling out torrid lines. Coming together on “Will I Stay” the duo produced a surprisingly big sound with considerable scope. Munroe took to the keyboard for “I Want those Flashing Lights”, playing a solo intro and full verse before the pre-programmed verses and chorus ignited the pleased crowd.
