POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Britain’s Auteurs Leave Flash Behind in Cafe Largo Set

The new British quartet the Auteurs may be associated with the flashy London glam revival scene led by Suede, but it was hard to find the parallels Saturday night at Cafe Largo.

The first surprise at the club was when the group’s skinny, mop-top singer-guitarist Luke Haines came on stage alone to perform three songs, wailing in an angry, yet bored tone.

The second surprise was when the band, which includes an electric cello, joined him and--instead of perking things up--dragged things down even more with its despondent demeanor. So much for the flashy glam ‘70s comparisons.

“It’s amazing what you can do with two chords,” Haines said at one point, underscoring his preoccupation with his lyrics rather than the group’s music, which is characterized by Donovan-like melodies and a Velvet Underground drone. Haines’ high-minded, highly articulated words, which ranged from such obligatory bohemian subjects as the Pope to Lenny Bruce, were clever but far too self-conscious.

At the end, Haines, apparently offended by the audience’s lukewarm reaction throughout, whipped his guitar off and snapped sarcastically, “Thanks, you’ve been a great audience.” The line didn’t seem to impress any more than his songs.