The highest praise you could give Aoife O’Donovan for this
Oxford show is that Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell would have been proud of
the way she covered two of their songs. Equally, pride would have also been forthcoming
in how Aoife is developing as a songwriter in her own right. With a highly
successful album under her belt and a brand new one sure to gather momentum over
time, she now has a plethora of good solo material to successfully fill any
show. Apart from the quality of the songs served up, Aoife was in a flawless
mode and radiated a glowing mood in conveying how she was comfortable with her
own career at present. This was the third time catching Aoife live with the
main difference on this occasion being her totally owning the spotlight instead
of a bit part on the Transatlantic Sessions and a more significant role in the ‘I’m
With Her’ trio alongside Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins.Aoife referred to the last time she visited Oxford which was the church gig with the two Sara(h)’s last year. In contrast to the other two performers, Aoife doesn’t veer down the rootsy route of fiddle, banjo and mandolin, with the sole use of acoustic guitar giving her a more contemporary sound akin with the classic-influenced singer-songwriters who have emerged in the style of the two icons which opened this review. The added bonus of this UK tour was the trio format of Anthony da Costa on electric guitar and Steve Nistor on drums. Together they thrilled a packed Bullingdon crowd, although there was a memorable moment when Aoife played entirely solo for two songs which included the Joni Mitchell cover ‘You Turn Me On I’m A Radio’ and a popular tune from FOSSILS in ‘Beekeeper’ which she stated was being played on this tour for the first time. These two songs were the realisation of ethereal divinity and at least the equal to the fruitful band highlights.
Before elaborating further on Aoife’s set content, a notable
and deserved mention is reserved for opening act Robert Chaney. Although this
curfew stricken gig had an early start, plenty were in the venue to watch Robert stride onto the stage and deliver
a strong batch of interesting songs in a striking style. He had impressed a
significant number of music followers outside London with his set at the
Maverick Festival last year and this further sortie outside the capital won
over a few more. Robert, who hails from Florida but has settled in the UK over
the last couple of years, is a singer-songwriter who uses every note in his
vocals to portray the mood of his songs and these are no shrinking violets. He
is certainly not kidding when introducing his work as story songs especially
when launching into the dark engaging number titled ‘The Cyclist’. Upon
completion of this epic, Robert invited singing partner Laura Tenschert on
stage to provide harmony on the interesting song ‘Corazones Amarillos’ and perform a duet on the audience friendly
amusing ditty ‘Broken (Beyond Repair)’. Time
constraints spared those present the gruesome ‘The Ballad of Edward and Lisa’, but I’m sure an open minded Oxford
gathering would have warmed to the peerless graphical content of this curious
song. Robert Chaney is an artist who needs a wider stage and his unique style
of song delivery has a massive potential to engage those hunger for left field
troubadour musings. 
Aoife was also complimentary of Robert’s opening slot as she
launched into her own set with a pair of songs from her brand new album IN THE
MAGIC HOUR. In fact it was more than ‘a magic hour’ later when Aoife closed the
main set with the record’s title track. After opening with ‘Stanley Park’ and ‘The King of All Birds’, we were periodically served with several
delights from this new release. During the frequent inter-song chats which positively
flavoured the evening, we learnt of the origins of ‘Magpie’ and the road sign in Cork which simply point to The West. This
had a tenuous link to ‘Detour Sign’,
also from the new record, which probably saw its evening highlight with the
seamless segue between ‘Donal Og’ and
‘Porch Light’. ‘Hornets’ and ‘Not Leaving’
completed a healthy portion of the set being dedicated to an album which will
continue to grow during the year.
Comparisons with 2013’s FOSSILS were always going to be
forthcoming especially as Aoife’s debut solo release possessed a greater
instant appeal. We were only a few songs into the set when the whole audience
were invited to sing along to ‘Oh, Mama’.
Another hugely popular number from this highly acclaimed record to warm the
evening was ‘Red & White & Blue
& Gold’. ‘Pearls’, ‘Briar Rose’ and ‘Thursday’s Child’ also represented the beauty of FOSSILS with the
last of this trio being executed by just Aoife and Anthony immediately after
the solo segment. Anthony was last seen on these shores when playing with
Carrie Elkin last year and his sparkling performance this evening drew praise
from members of the audience. Quite often rhythm in a trio associated with
roots music comes in the form of a double bass, so it was interesting to see
Steve Nistor’s presence on a full drum kit. However his input played a
significant part and, as previously implied, there was a real contemporary feel
to the sound, in the mould of Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin.
There was an indication beforehand that an interesting cover
would close the show and Aoife didn’t disappoint with a version of Emmylou’s
classic ‘From Boulder to Birmingham’.
This was a fitting finale for an artist poised to take the standard of articulate
singer-song writing well into the next generation. This gig exceeded expectations
all round. Her vocals were immaculate, the sound system perfectly accommodating,
a Friday evening audience impeccable in their attentiveness throughout and the
presentation of a raft of quality songs, stunning in their magical structure.
Shows like this are an absolute pleasure to attend, so commendations to the
Empty Rooms team for promoting another successful gig, Robert Chaney for owning
the opening role and Aoife O’Donovan for a blissful performance.
www.robertchaney.net