GEMS (Photo Credit: Kristen Wrzesniewski)

Just one week before the release of their first full-length album, Kill the One You Love (out October 30th), GEMS captivated the U Street Music Hall crowd with a bountiful selection of their dream pop infused new songs.

GEMS, or Lindsay Pitts, on lead vocals and a few instruments, and Clifford John Usher, on everything else, were almost too excited to start. The music began to grow and pulse two minutes early, before the lights flashed on precisely at 8:00pm. Then they unleashed the first song of the night, “Scars”.

At least five of the songs they performed were from the new album. After “Scars”, they played “Heartbreaker”, which is a gradually building, aerial song.

The duo is originally from DC, but moved to LA after they released their first EP, Medusa. When Lindsay told the crowd they were from DC, the venue lights lit up for a heartbeat. Welcome back. If only briefly.

Two previously released songs from Kill the One You Love, “W/O U” and “Living as a Ghost”, were highlights of their brief 7-song set (they opened for Autre Ne Veut). Both are ethereal, entreating laments to lost love.
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There was a respectable crowd at UHall, that grew to not quite capacity by the time they were ready for the last song.

They ended the enjoyable set with “Sinking Stone”.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZtHVu5VbE]

They have a few New York dates this week, before wrapping up their tour in Atlanta and Austin.

Stay vigilante and catch them the next time they come to DC! And come early.

You can still pre-order the album before it is officially released, via iTunes and Carpark Records. It’s good.