Lovely Largo

As subtly persistent as a heartbeat, as sharp as a snapping high tension wire, Hugo Largo is a band of subliminal extremes and internal dynamics. Not exactly a primary rock experience, but definitely a primal one. Featuring two elegiac bass players, a beautiful, soaring electric violinist and vocalist Mimi Goese’s swooping soprano swimming through the flotation tank sound waves, the New York quartet, which performed at Club Lingerie on Thursday, has a lot more on its collective mind (and heart) than churning out another generic guitar-rock thud.

Given its premise, Hugo Largo could easily be a terribly precious bit of art-pop hooey. But the band projected such a guileless sense of warmth that you could understand easily why this quiet storm has already attracted a rapt cult following.

Goese spent the set removing layers of thrift-shop clothing. She catatonically stared into space until tears ran from her eyes and performed one of the group’s strongest, stringent pieces, “Second Sin” with a butcher knife aimed at her body. Yet for all her hyper-theatricality, she maintained a simple, self-effacing air of good humor. Goese was once a dancer; though Hugo Largo uses no percussion, the band plays music that forms its own special pulse--a different dance that doesn’t need a different drummer. The group will appear at Alcohol Salad tonight.