Sarah Lipstate, aka Noveller, performs at Rock and Roll Hotel on June 6, 2017.

Los Angeles guitarist Sarah Lipstate, better known as Noveller, visited DC’s Rock and Roll Hotel to open for Mary Timony touring the songs of her former band Helium on June 6. (Read our Parklife DC review of Mary Timony!) During the sold-out show, Noveller deftly looped guitar loops through an impressive array of pedals, producing a languid noise rock that proved a great counterpart to Helium’s music.

Noveller published her most recent album, A Pink Sunset for No One, in February via Fire Records. This latest is Noveller’s eighth studio album, and it continues a shift in her sound as she branches out from drone music to something a bit more pop.

As Paul Simpson observed for a review at AllMusic, “While the album contains all of the hallmarks of Lipstate’s cinematic sound, such as gently drifting waves of droning guitars and slightly melancholy atmospheres, there seems to be more definition to her playing this time around, in some aspects. She hasn’t exactly started writing pop songs, but at times there’s a bit more of a propulsion to her compositions, and the melodies feel more outlined than before.”

In concert at Rock and Roll Hotel, Noveller’s performance was hypnotic, and the hushed crowd fell into the rhythm of her instrumental songs. As critics have said, Noveller effectively took droning bedroom pop to a bigger, more cinematic level, and that much was clearly on display last Tuesday.

Listen to A Pink Sunset for No One by Noveller on Bandcamp:

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2370588819 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Noveller resumes her tour with Mary Timony tonight, June 12, in Toronto — and they continue June 13 in Cleveland, June 14 in Detroit, and June 15 in Chicago. Catch the show for an evening of really great guitar!

Here are some pictures of Noveller performing at Rock and Roll Hotel on June 6, 2017.