Ian Sweet & Young Jesus played Great Scott – 11/3

Jilian Medford’s ever-evolving indie-pop project Ian Sweet returned to Boston earlier this month in support of October’s Crush Crusher, with support from Young Jesus and Sean Henry. 

Medford, a former Berklee student and mainstay of the Boston music scene by extension, has since relocated to the West Coast – but she remains a local favorite, capable of pulling in quite a crowd for an abnormally early Saturday show. Crush Crusher finds Medford backed by a new band, and extending her songs into uncharted atmospheric territory on stage.

Fan as I am of Ian Sweet, who I’ve covered many times in various capacities, this night’s big draw for me was recent Saddle Creek signees Young Jesus. The Los Angeles four-piece fuse the shaggy indie-folk-rock characteristic of the Saddle Creek roster with flourishes of post-rock – beautifully showcased with their just-released LP The Whole Thing Is Just There. The band delivered live, too, with a raw and passionate set that admirably pulled off the gamble of including sprawling 20-minute album closer “Gulf.” Very much looking forward to having them back in town for a proper headlining.

Opener Sean Henry and his band rounded out the night with some more straightforwardly noisy indie rock that still stocked personality and charm. Check out photos from all three sets below.