Camera Obscura Go Orchestral at New York Ballroom

Even at nearly double strength, Camera Obscura boast a feather-light touch. Performing Monday night at New York City's Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, the Scottish indie-pop sextet swelled its ranks to 11, adding a string quartet and second horn player and yet still spared fans the hassle of rummaging through their canvas totes in search of earplugs.

At least that was the case in the back of the ballroom -- a vantage that, in addition to offering ear-friendly sound, afforded choice vistas of both venue and band. Rocking their typically snazzy thrift-store gear, the Glaswegian musicians looked right at home beneath the theater's intricate molding and heavy drape curtain. The vibe was more 1940s dance party than rock 'n' roll show, and that seemed to suit lead singer Tracyanne Campbell.

"We could all have a bath after the show," Campbell said, marveling at the preponderance of tubs in the venue's anachronistic dressing rooms. "Not together. Not together."

Even if Campbell and company weren't about to scrub each other's backs, they played with familial tightness, effortlessly welcoming the five additional musicians into the fold. Following 'French Navy,' one of the evening's highlights, Campbell made a point of saying how refreshing it was to present the song "properly, with strings." On 'You Told a Lie,' a smart, swooning country tune, the quartet added pizzicato plucking, one of those miniscule details that can make or break a song.

The Grand Ballroom was a far cry from the stuffy basement of One Hanson Place, home of the Brooklyn Flea, a weekly craft, food and rummage sale Camera Obscura played a day earlier. A number of folks attended both shows, and midway through Monday's set, Campbell managed to spot someone who had tried unsuccessfully for a photo on Sunday afternoon.

Campbell's keen observation underscored what she described as her band's special connection with New York City. Although the audience, perhaps still recovering from the weekend, was slow to show enthusiasm, it came alive as the evening progressed. By the time the group got around to 'Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken,' a handful of couples had started dancing, succumbing to the gentle pull of the twee-soul beat.