Like so many of their UK audience, The Mastersons were
initially exposed to me as integral and up to date members of Steve Earle’s
backing band, The Dukes. This was back on Steve’s 2011 tour and since then they
have gone from strength to strength as a recording duo in their own right.
Of course any new Americana band trying to establish their self in Britain requires
a certain amount of stamina and the setting of realistic goals. This latest
batch of dates sees the duo, comprising of Chris Masterson and Eleanor
Whitmore, booked by the usual array of promoters including for a sole Midlands
gig, Cosmic American. Touring in support of the latest album, GOOD LUCK CHARM,
The Mastersons made their Birmingham debut and duly showed why they are held in
esteem by many industry figures in the US.
The good news is that in the words of Justin Currie, tonight’s
turnout exceeded the ‘gig’ threshold as Chris injected a little humour into a
set packed with original material and executed with extreme finesse. Harmonies
and solos decorated the songs of which all but one can be found on their two
studio releases to date. The sound heralded a crossroads style where country,
rock and folk meet with it developing into a two pronged feel depending on whether
Eleanor treated us to guitar or fiddle. The former had a reassuring solidity to
it as opposed to the more explosive nature of the fiddle. Either style
reflected well on a set of numbers displaying an ever increasing sophistication
in the song writing which has evolved as a partnership in tandem with their own
personal status as husband and wife.
A couple of references were made to another US songwriter in
Steve Poltz including a co-written number ‘Highway
1’ which came over as one of the strongest songs on the evening. This was
the solitary track not to appear on the current album or 2012’s release BIRDS FLY SOUTH.
From that previous record, the title track excelled and metaphorically covered
their own migration from Brooklyn to Austin which has suited their style. Also
as both Chris and Eleanor are Texans, this was essentially a homecoming and
both had significant music careers in the state prior to meeting.
The evening began with a thirty minute set by veteran
northern songwriter Paul Handyside who duly entertained those present with a
stock of standard songs brought to life by the slide guitar of his sidekick Rob
Tickell. This paved the way for The Mastersons to fill their own seventy minute
slot with the entirety of GOOD LUCK CHARM including an encore finale of ‘Time is Tender’ where orchestrated audience
participation accompanied Chris and Eleanor finishing off mic. Other appealing
tracks from this new record, which proved a popular purchase at the end of the
evening, included ‘Cautionary Tale’
and ‘Good Luck Charm’ with the latter
being inspired by a populist rally in their hometown of Austin.
In full flow, The Mastersons are an accomplished duo
subjecting their audience to an impressive sound powered by the roots of music
and freshened up with a contemporary fragrance. By excelling in the holy
trinity of vocals, sound and song, the creative force of Chris Masterson and
Eleanor Whitmore are much more than a blessing of Steve Earle and gave plenty
of evidence this evening to form a long, successful and influential career.
www.themastersonsmusic.com