Canadian indie outfit Males I Belief appears beamed down from the heavens to be a headphones band. Lead singer and guitarist Emmanuelle Proulx’s light vocals float alongside over a textured dreampop sound constructed alongside guitarist Jessy Caron and keyboardist Dragos Chiriac. The lyrics about romance and longing match each modes the band operates in: The ethereal studio variations of their materials, and the group’s well-liked “Endlessly Reside Classes” releases, which discover the musicians huddled collectively and taking part in stay.

How is the group’s sound translated to a live-with-audience present? Males I Belief launched the Equus North American Tour at Brooklyn’s Lena Horne Bandshell on Friday night time, and it’s clear the band has perfected a 3rd department of their sound: a dynamic, road-ready stay act.

2025 has been a prolific 12 months for the group, because it included the discharge of its fifth and sixth studio albums, “Equus Asinus” in March and “Equus Caballus” in Might. Whereas the previous was a slight stylistic diversion, relying extra on acoustic sounds and the tempos notched down, the latter continued the unhurried however bouncy rhythm part on lots of their best-known compositions.

Supplemented by longtime touring bandmates Eric Maillet on drums and mononymic bassist Alexis, Males I Belief opened a career-spanning set with the brilliant, synth-heavy new track “To Ease You.” One factor that separates the band from dreampop friends is the surprisingly swinging rhythm part, wherein a structured bassline dances round a gentle drumbeat. This heartbeat permits for propulsion even when the vibe is demure, and the opening chug of “To Ease You” set the tone that even with hushed melodies, the set would preserve transferring.

Maybe the group’s largest stay energy is their steadfast dedication to play within the pocket, with components that finest serve the track. In addition to a guitar solo or two, the preparations are locked in, eschewing showboating to mix seamlessly with one another. Their sound flowed on tracks like fan favourite “Tailwhip,” with Maillet’s driving however tasteful drum line creating construction for Alexis’ muted, funk-influenced bass, with Chiriac’s siren-inspired synth interplaying with the 2 guitarists, laying down pedal-distorted riffs underneath Proulx’s fragile, beautiful vocal line. It’s a difficult steadiness, however the band (and the hard-working sound consultants on the venue) let each well-balanced word shine by.

Listening to the group’s work recontextualized stay additionally permits a few of their influences to shine by even brighter. The guitars of “The place I Sit” recall quirky ’80s bands like Oingo Boingo, the place “Carried Away” is made extra muscular stay and seems like a deconstruction of a forgotten grunge anthem. “Serenade of Water” finds the group approaching journey hop, with a looking out guitar line run by an expressive pedal, whereas “Seven” feels prefer it might be a b-side to Eagles’ “The Lengthy Run,” with a lick and rolling rhythm straight out of 1979. Regardless of all of those dips into the rock music songbook, the entire jams are unmistakably Males I Belief, synthesizing these concepts in tasteful methods to nudge their sound, not break it.

Ending their encore by pogoing by the upbeat tracks “Worn Down” and “Billie Toppy,” the dancing crowd confirmed the facility of a band turning up their amps and going massive. Whereas many Males I Belief songs started within the privateness of hushed bedrooms or small studios, the ace songwriting and Proulx’s soulful vocals can contact 1000’s in a crowd.