Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Morgan and Kenny McKeeve at Fort York for TURF on July 4, 2013. Photo: Tom Beedham

“We don’t usually wear sunglasses onstage,” Camera Obscura guitarist Kenny McKeeve told the crowd at TURF amid a break in their July 4 set. “We’re not pretentious, but we’re not used to this; we’re British.”

Scottish identity crises aside, it is indeed so that the Glasgow twee-poppers have been away from Ontario for some time, as their last set here was at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre on Nov. 27, 2009.

That – with perhaps some help from their critically acclaimed June 2013 release Desire Lines – all just meant for a warm welcome from the TURF crowd in the ranks at Fort York on July 4.

Although the group played in front of a backdrop sporting a blown up image of the new album’s artwork, 2006’s Let’s Get Out of This Country saw just as much representation on the group’s setlist. They also played “French Navy” and “Swans” from 2009’s My Maudlin Career, and reached 10 years back to 2003’s sophomore effort Underachievers Please Try Harder for “Teenager.” Full setlist below.

Setlist:
“Do It Again”
“Break It To You Gently”
“Teenager”
“Tears For Affairs”
“Fifth in Line To The Throne”
“Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”
“Swans”
“If Looks Could Kill”
“New Year’s Resolution”
“French Navy”
“Desire Lines”
“Come Back Margaret”
“Razzle Dazzle Rose”

Originally published by The Ontarion.