Photos: Sean Gadd, Cillie Barnes and Alyeska at the Echo

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Sean Gadd at the Echo (Photo by Lexi Bonin)
Sean Gadd at the Echo (Photo by Lexi Bonin)

Sean Gadd’s show Tuesday night at the Echo was billed as an “record-release party,” but that was a bit of unintentional confusion. The Englishman, a founding member of and the former bassist for Grouplove, has only unveiled two of the songs on his solo debut, “Massive Alien” — the debut single “Radar Sounds” and “Never Be Beautiful,” a duet with Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper. There’s no firm release date set for the album, either.

But as an album preview show, Gadd and his band did quite well, thank you. Their eight-song set of folk-tinged psychedelic rock kicked off with that first single and finished strong. The penultimate tune “About Today” was an uplifting Britpop anthem perfect for sing-alongs (one people have it and learn it, of course), and the finale “Runnin’ My Mouth” let Gadd do just that, preach with intense earnestness.

Cillie Barnes preceded the headliner, with Vanessa Long dipping back to 2013 for “Brainwash” and then fast-forwarding to now for some new, torchy pop songs (or jazz with lap steel, or something in between) that besides the siren choruses including some playful rapping.

Alyeska kicked off the night with songs from their new mini-album “Crush” and more.

Photos by Lexi Bonin