You can never under estimate the power of live music, and in
turn the effect of stamping a mark of ownership on a show. Taking your music
far and wide on a personal journey is another major shift towards sealing the
listener relationship, especially pertinent when in the field of sharing the
gut pouring meaningful song. TRINITY LANE trumped ROYAL BLUE and LET DOWN in
the burgeoning Lilly Hiatt back catalogue and now a run of inaugural headline
UK dates is taking her music onto another level. It is nearly two years since
she graced the surroundings of the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham for a debut
appearance alongside Hannah Aldridge, and the developmental advancements as a
live performer were a shining example to touring performers.
On her return, there was to be no dual approach, just a
fully grasped effort to raise the stakes from a considerable base to begin.
Foremost, Lilly Hiatt is an exceptional songwriter, ensuring that no smidgeon of
genetic talent is going to waste. Grasping her last two records in particular
was an immensely beneficial process, but in essence the mere groundwork for the
exposure of twenty songs in a conducive and relaxed Sunday evening environment.
For this headline tour, Lilly has enlisted the services of
two trusted musicians, fully acquainted with her body of work. John Condit
tuned up the lead guitar to guide from the front, while Robert Hudson flitted
between assorted percussion, mandolin and temperate electric guitar to ensure
the rhythm held up. From the pivotal focal point, Lilly embraced the challenge
of opening up her songbook alongside a couple of nods to famous figures of
inspiration.
The audience may not overall have been tuned into the work
of Pearl Jam, but Lilly connected with one enthusiastic member via a version of
‘Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a
Small Town’. Maybe they were more John Prine than pioneering grunge, with
the eternal ‘Angel From Montgomery’
proving the perfect send off from one fledgling songwriter tipping their hat in
tribute to a legend.
Covers may be a talking point, but this show was absolutely
defined by the quality of the original composition. Stretching the breadth of
three releases, the unsurprising focus was on last year’s critically acclaimed hit
TRINITY LANE, with Lilly explaining the Nashville location of the title in all
its socio-economic infamy. The title track itself was one of the highlights
from a brace of sets that extended the venue’s usual Sunday evening finish
time. Other significant airings from an exceptional release were a reference to
her father, the legendary John Hiatt, in ‘Imposter’,
the evocative and deeply personal ‘The
Night David Bowie Died’ and the highly engaging ‘Records’, setting up the equally interactive encore closer, and a
tribute to the man of the moment – John Prine.
As a performer, Lilly increasingly grew into her role. The vocals
are on the lo-fi side of the spectrum, but perfectly suited to the strummed
expanses of her earthy country folk style. There is an alternative garage
streak to her onstage persona, which soaks up the gritty sentiment of the songs.
There is also an element of classic singer-songwriter era to her demeanour, while
grounding out timeless songs from an expansive arsenal. Ultra-personal songs
such as ‘Somebody’s Daughter’ and ‘Jesus Would’ve Let Me Pick the Restaurant’
flew the flag for the ROYAL BLUE album, in a similar vein to what the title
track and ‘3 Days’ did for her 2015
record LET DOWN. While this release has not yet made the collection, the latter
track mentioned - itself inspired by the length of a road trip from Tennessee to
Texas - was fondly remembered from the 2016 show.
What Lilly Hiatt did to strengthen her position on the
appreciation scale, opening act Hope in High Water did likewise, albeit from a
differing angle. Swap Nashville for Milton Keynes for starters and this is the
latest of a growing number of sets they have played at the Kitchen in recent
times. Josh and Carly continue to project a compelling air of duality in how
their vocals come across. Josh in particular is polishing the bruised output,
drawing comparisons to two rugged singer-songwriters in Ben Glover and Michael
McDermott in impressing live from the very spot he stood this evening.
In true cross Atlantic comraderie, both support and headliner
appreciatively complimented each other. Any healthy scene requires a
multi-facetted approach to the origins of its performers, even if the synergy
of the roots influence is securely evidenced. To quote a rather iconic figure, this
compactly packed evening of over 30 original tunes was in the spirit of ‘for
the sake of the song’. When artists as good as Lilly Hiatt shows their command,
you know the spirit is in safe hands. To ratchet up the impact of a quality
album as TRINITY LANE is no mean feat. The pleasure of being in the intimate vicinity
of a high calibre artist is never taken for granted, but always entirely embraced.