It should never be taken for granted, but it is refreshing
for these monthly Bewdley shows to be so well-attended. However the main
success is people listening to live music which isn’t soaked in populist expression,
yet delivered with such strength and skill to reward an open minded approach.
It also helps that the organisers are tuned into an artist network that
delivers an endless supply of performers so adept at making top quality organic
music. The latest artist to be humbled by the surroundings of St. George’s Hall
is American roots singer-songwriter Chastity Brown, who is basing her latest UK
visit around the release of the new album SILHOUETTE OF SIRENS.A blended approach to making roots music has been a well used description for Chastity, especially when introducing her to UK audiences over the last couple of years. Essentially, she starts from a folk base and then branches out to wherever her feelings lead, frequently in a soul and blues direction. An earthy vocal characteristic coupled with harmonica and a mix of guitar styles paint the sonic picture, while from a theme perspective the heart lends heavily to the writing whether in introspective feeling mode or reaction to outside events. Alongside multi-guitar playing accomplice Luke Enyeart, Chastity cast a mesmeric spell across an attentive audience taking them to far away places, and not just from a literal geogrpahic angle.
During the seventy minutes that she spent on stage, Chastity
split the time between shedding some light on what has guided her music and
sharing a large chunk of the new album. It was unsurprising for her to attach
the southern upbringing of residing in Tennessee as an enormous influence,
which was increasingly realised when she uprooted and started a new life in
Minnesota. The new album was instantly delved into from the outset with ‘Drive Slow’ adopting the dual role of
both opening the record and this show.
From a personal view, it is always interesting to detect the
direction when a songwriter decides to add a cover to the show. The Minnesota
connection aside, a Bob Dylan song was an appropriate choice; one made more
interesting with a version of ‘I Was
Young When I Left Home’. To end the show, Chastity journeyed in another
covers direction when sharing her take on the Nina Simone song ‘Baltimore’. Both these songs enhanced
the evening and neatly complemented the bulk of original material that tends to
drive Chastity as a recording artist.
One more, this Music in the Hall presentation was complete
with a youth and local act to support the touring artist. Two’s Company are a
young duo starting off on a long road of playing live music. They showed a keen
ear to popular classics which while lending them material these days may
eventually lead to inspiring them creatively in the future. Another more experienced
local duo under the name of Tale Lights followed the youngsters and mixed some
interesting choice of covers with original songs. These were generated from an acoustic
pop platform and possessed sufficient merit to gain airplay from the arm of BBC
Music charged with promoting unsigned artists through an ‘introducing’ concept.
Apart from reporting the good health of these ongoing
monthly promotions at the year’s midway point, it warms the heart that people
in this vicinity are prepared to give relatively unknown acts a try, and back a
judgement that an artist is not going to travel 5000 miles without something to
offer. Chastity Brown does not disappoint on this score and will enhance your
musical appreciation whether you choose to listen to her records or better
still, make your way to one of her shows.
www.chastitybrownmusic.com
www.chastitybrownmusic.com
Review of Silhouette of Sirens
