An Echo of Melancholy Mixes Well With McCulloch Charisma

In the early ‘80s, Echo & the Bunnymen jump-started the era with lofty angst, subtle psychedelia, long overcoats and puffy hair. At the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Wednesday, the Liverpool band--reunited with singer Ian McCulloch after nine years--delivered a typically moody set of old hits alongside songs from its new album, “Evergreen.” The night rode on the outfit’s winning formula of melancholy and grandeur, and McCulloch’s charisma.

Wrapped in a full-length winter coat despite the sticky summer heat, McCulloch captured an understated elegance with his crooning. Kicking off with the new hit “I Want to Be There (When You Come),” the group underscored the idea that its reunion is not all about reliving ‘80s glory days.

The set couldn’t shake a nostalgic tint, however, as the group played a strong sampling of hits, including the sinister “Killing Moon” and “The Cutter” and the more playful “Bed Bugs and Ballyhoo.”

As McCulloch vamped for the crowd, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson (accompanied by a touring drummer and keyboardist) carried their own resonance with a sound that combined lushness and subtlety. Such new songs as “Just a Touch Away” and “Evergreen” proved that Echo & the Bunnymen can still write tunes about intimacy and a lyrical kind of dread.

At the end of the second encore, as the band delved into a stunning version of the 1980 single “Do It Clean,” with McCulloch--part Frank Sinatra, part Nick Cave-- offering a mid-song montage of James Brown’s “Sex Machine” and the old standard “That’s Amore,” Echo & the Bunnymen gave its reason for reuniting. Despite the decade-old aftertaste, the band’s dark, romantic sound can still move a crowd and pull the heartstrings.