Lucinda Williams, Woody Guthrie and John Prine were cited during this show, but Alynda Lee Segarra is well equipped to ply her own route in the contemporary roots scene. The entity of Hurray for the Riff Raff forms a rooted base for Alynda to spill out the wares of her wandering spirit which blossoms into a haze of groovy soulful folk songs. This Birmingham show was the second date of a UK tour designed to re-acquaint a British audience with Hurray for the Riff Raff and it is all systems go for the new album to hit the markets as we head into the winter months. From the moment Alynda and her four band companions struck the first note of ‘End of the Line’, an appreciative gathering at the Rainbow were left in awe of the talents in their midst.
It was fitting that the band slipped in a cover of Lucinda’s
‘People Talkin’ in the latter stages
of their set as the similarities in Alynda’s approach to song delivery was
stark and not just as a result of the shared Louisiana connection. Over the course
of a handful of original albums that Hurray for the Riff Raff have released, the
stellar song structure has been a common theme culminating in SMALL TOWN HEROES
being one of 2014’s most acclaimed releases in respected roots and Americana
circles. Several sensational numbers from this record formed the heart of this
show led by the classic duo of ‘Blue
Ridge Mountain’ and ‘Crash on the
Highway’ which open the album.
If you thought it couldn’t get any better, the strong
emotive version of ‘St. Roch Blues’ ,
which saw Alynda ditch the guitar to pour extra into the vocals, could only be
hailed as an exceptional show closer. Not to be outdone in the troubadour
stakes, the solo acoustic delivery of ‘Small
Town Heroes’ in the first encore slot revealed a folk singer to reckon with
and the ability to hold an audience from opening line to last.
For this tour the band behind Alynda comprised of bass and lead
guitars, drums and keys with all four players executing their parts of the mix
with acute precision. The comfort of ease in filtering in the styles of soul,
blues and rock into the sound was admirable. Essentially the core is a bunch of
heart influenced folk songs given a musical coating, sung by a vocalist adept
at penetrating and extracting the soul of each number. The new compositions
were given an enticing preview and definitely you should look out for ‘Life to Save’, ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change That
Girl’ and ‘Living in the City’.
The latter possessed the evening’s most profound rock vibes and was born out of
Alynda’s desire to give some insight into her New York upbringing. This sheds
an alternative light on an artist who cut the early stages of a music calling
via the transient life.
Throw in Alynda’s Puerto Rican heritage, which at times does
give the Hurray for the Riff Raff sound a Hispanic tone, add the southern
exposure to the raw talent and the result is knockout music refusing to abide
by the constraints of the ceiling. This was a performance that moved up the
gears right from the second song ‘Ode to
John and Yoko’, got everybody moving in their own subtle ways to ‘Look Out Mama’ and ended far too soon
with the rousing finale of ‘Little Black
Star’.
Hurray for the Riff Raff will be at the forefront of the
contemporary American roots scene for a long time to come and have the
potential to develop further. The perfect marriage of talent, understanding, influence
and heritage give the band a sure footing, with Alynda destined to flourish as
a song writing performer. Birmingham Promoters should be commended for bringing
them to Britain’s Second City and the promise to return soon armed with the new
record needs to be grabbed.
