Ever since that Fox Network show choir series that will not be named, it seems like a capella groups are a dime a dozen. Despite the punny name, you could be forgiven for not expecting much from St. Andrews based The Accidentals in
A level of polish and professionalism that would make the producers of Glee openly weep.
For some of the performances, there’s no other word than “bombastic” - a particular gem being my favourite version of Who Did That To You, featuring fierce, dusky lead vocals from Paige-Marie Settle. But there’s really no weak link in The Accidentals, and a kind of musical equality that’s really admirable: everyone had their time to shine, and boy did they glow. At least once every song, there was a moment where a performer’s voice hit the audience like a sledgehammer.
This is a group that obviously knows how to work together. Their movement onstage was crisp and purposeful, but always took the backseat to their sound. Bobbing and weaving around each-other, songs came to resemble feats of audio acrobatics - especially when combined with acapella instrumentals, beatboxes and some skilled rap flows. But skill without entertainment value doesn’t cut it these days and The Accidentals deliver wholeheartedly here too - their skits between songs were short in the best way, cohesive, and actually felt like they added something to the overall performance unlike many show choir segues. And, if anything, they were at least another chance to show off the group’s impressive vox-instrumental work - you’d be hard pressed to find a single bum note in their entire set.
The Accidentals are one of, if not the best a capella groups I’ve seen in a long time. Their show promises an ear-to-ear grin from start to finish, with a level of polish and professionalism that would make the producers of Glee openly weep. I can only hope to see more of these guys in the near future.
