REVIEW: Sofi Tukker, LP, Kah-Lo @ the Sinclair 04/25

With the two week old release of Treehouse, electronic-pop duo Sofi Tukker brought the color and addictive beats of their new album to the Sinclar on Wednesday, April 25. Igniting the stage and possessing a distinct energy of their own, this duo’s performance will be hard for audiences to forget, and a challenge to top.

Musicians Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern met in college, forming Sofi Tukker in 2014. Their house genre beginnings are evident in “Drinkee,” their first collaboration. With a passion for Brazilian Portuguese, the duo sings a number of their most dance-provoking songs in the radiant language.

Taking the jungle-themed stage (in correlation to Treehouse) shortly after 10 p.m., the two entered with a presence electrifying the stage–the angelic Hawley-Weld dressed in a white bodysuit and shall and the cartoon-like Halpern in black and white striped boxers and leggings. They immediately brought the energy with “Energia,” a release from Treehouse that made nearly everyone in the room bounce repeatedly.

Following was “Matadora,” an anthem from the duo’s first EP, Soft Animals. Featured in Lady Gaga’s 2017 documentary film, “Matadora” is as powerful as a song can be, knowing when to hold the audience in its tight, dance-inflicting grip, and when to slow for dramatic effect. Sofi Tukker, better yet Sophie and Tucker, used a unique drum machine in the shape of different jungle animals to form the magnificent beats and horns in this crowd favorite.

Succeeding songs include “Awoo,” “Batshitt,” “Benadryl,” “Baby I’m a Queen,” “Johny,” “My Body Hurts,” “Fuck They,” “Moon Tattoo,” “Best Friend,” and “Drinkee” from Soft Animals and Treehouse. Unreleased titles “Swing” and “Fantasy” are songs to expect on “the next album,” Hawley-Weld said.

Soft Animals (2016) was a strong first EP, putting Sofi Tukker on the map. Knowing when to speed up the dancefloor with Latin-themed house singles including “Awoo” and when to slow the mood with dreamy melodic originals such as “Moon Tattoo”, Soft Animals is a difficult body of work to top. Fortunately, Treehouse comes close. Though it may not have the same unique flair that makes the previous release so memorable, Treehouse is a hit of a first album. Here, Sofi Tukker explores pop, putting their own, pulse-pounding spin in titles such as “Fuck They,” “Bashitt,” and “Best Friend.”

It’s something to hear a successful debut album, but it’s extraordinary to experience it live. Sofi Tukker is the quintessential band who sounds better in person versus recorded, and that’s saying something, because their recorded work is spectacular. Their presence is entertainment at its finest, music so diverse that it can have the audience jumping higher than ever one song, and swaying with emotion the next.

The highlight of the night was “Moon Tattoo,” a dream-like fantasy of a song. Hawley-Weld’s powerhouse vocals and Halpern’s mysterious rhythms blended so effortlessly and captivated the crowd for an entire five minutes. The experience was surreal, to say the least.

Closing with the first song they’d ever written together, Sofi Tukker finished with “Drinkee,” arguably the duo’s most fun song. It was impossible to spot a member of the audience not dancing their heart out during this Latin-themed conclusion. The energy that was present during the beginning of their set had grown an enormous amount, this being the climax.

An explosion of a performance and an experience to remember, Sofi Tukker felt relatable, almost friend-like, as they reigned the stage for nearly two hours. Opening acts LP and Kah-Lo were fantastic at pumping up the crowdt; by the time the acts were finished, concertgoers were exhausted from standing for almost an hour and a half before the leads could enter the stage. Nonetheless, it only took their swank entrance to bring the energy(ia) and exhilarate the audience.

It’s rare to see a set of performers enjoying themselves as much as these two. Perhaps it was their East Coast roots, particularly Halpern’s in Brookline, so a familiar setting as well as family and friends in the audience only amplified the already bright mood. Sofi Tukker delivered, big time. Do not miss this incredible duo the next time they’re in Boston or wherever home may be; tour dates continue until September 21.

-Christian Jaeger