On a packed evening of varied entertainment which pushed the
venue’s curfew to the limit, three separate acts took to the stage (or corner
of the Café where the mics and plugs are) to deliver contrasting sets bonded by
a common theme of Americana influenced music. Joining the US guests for the
evening and opening with great gusto was Birmingham singer-songwriter Guy
Jones, heavily influenced by the sheer magnitude of American message and road
songs. Playing in a trio format helped Guy deliver his songs effectively
with more than an ounce of twang and an infusion of harmonies accompanying a series of thoughtful
tunes, mainly lifted from his EP LONG WAY HOME. The pick of these was a tricky
choice between ‘Washington Line’ and ‘Albany Honey’, both originating from
stateside visits. Guy is currently running a Pledge campaign to fund his new
album to be recorded in New York later this year. On the evidence of this
evening’s brief showcase, the finished product possesses a fair degree of early
promise.
While Josh and Kelley had equal billing in the pre-gig
blurb, the pair used the twin sets on offer to present a sample of their tunes,
split by gender but both interwoven with folk sensibilities focussing on the
intricacies of real and true everyday American life. Josh uses the solo mantle
to share a bunch of songs mainly centred round his two areas of geographical
residence, namely growing up in North Dakota and currently inhabiting the Wisconsin state capital of Madison. Matching his profound vocal style and flexible guitar
playing form an integral part of his limelight presence, although the warm and informative
inter-song banter adds the vital interactive audience ingredient. A handful of
Josh’s releases are available online with the two stand out songs introduced
being the deeply personal ‘6th
Avenue’ and the passionate ‘Whiskey
and Morphine’. Not one to miss out on an opportunity to collaborate, Josh
invited Kelley and her husband Matt Castlelein to help out with a couple of
numbers with the invitation being reciprocated later for a cover of Ryan Adams’ ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’ and an encore
version of Dan Bern’s ‘Black Tornado’.
Before heaping further praise on the magnetic appeal of
Kelley’s song presentation, an acknowledgement of Matt’s contribution on resonator
guitar deservedly needs documenting as
it drove the musical arrangement in a much appreciated twang induced roots
direction. Matt is at the absolute core of Kelley’s desire to share her inner
thoughts via an artistic medium she is both comfortable with and extremely good
at. Over the course of the evening it was impossible not to grow fond of Kelley
and believe in her lifelong quest to throw her heart and soul into pursuing the
utopia of an idealist singer-songwriter. Whether leaving the inbred musical
influences of her Mississippi home to hang out as a hipster of pretence in New
York City (she is far too genuine for that label) or giving up the day job for
2 years living out of a VW campervan, her background tales were absorbing especially when introducing the source of the song ‘Johnny
Cash’. ‘Stay Close to Me’, ‘Rare Bird’,
Alone’ and ‘All the Days’ were
all gratifying songs entrancingly sung and frequenting a set which could quite
easily have floated into the early hours of the following day’s Good Friday
holiday.
The names of Kelley McCrae and Josh Harty are now no longer
a mystery in these quarters and any discerning fan of folk-style Americana music should follow
suit. Increased affection for them as artists will surely encourage both to seek
some return to the UK in the future and maybe a few more folks in the press and
promotion world will make their path more productive.
www.kelleymccrae.com
Guy Jones Pledge Project
