Not surprisingly the upcoming new album MORE NOTES FROM THE FIELD flew proudly in the set list for this mid-September show, with the added bonus of a gig-exclusive physical CD gracing the merch table a full month or so before official release date. As we approached the break of this two-set presentation, it appeared that the new songs were going to reign supreme. However the guys kept a few treats up their sleeve to live up to the notion of keeping them waiting for the soaring finale.
The two high spots of the first half came in the shape of the first single lifted from the new album 'The Nameless' and a special song dedicated to those seaside towns afflicted as a casualty of neglect. 'Nowhere on Sea' lodged in the brain for two moments - some stunning acoustic guitar playing from Lukas in a brief moment of dropping the bass and naming a pub The Rod and Line. A lyric that just stuck regardless of whether fiction or fact.
A raft of newish tracks to feature included the long dormant 'Higher than the Moon', the nostalgic 'For Old Times' Sake' - a recurring theme on the night - and the soon to be released second single 'To Call You Friend'. This heralded the one moment when the joviality was dropped as the duo paid tribute to a passing friend. Outside of this, the jokes and sparring freely flowed as the good vibes from two trusted friends spread among an audience forever attentive and grateful.
It's been a little Lukas Drinkwater heavy so far, so let's turn to Tobias Ben Jacob for balance. On the surface the apparent origin of most of the songs, and a vocalist with a turn of tone to give oomph and clarity to lyrics cleverly created to spin a yarn, fondly reflect or just celebrate the beauty of words. Some of these songs have solo credited recordings as the duo Jacob and Drinkwater are the architect of just one previous studio album, while the pair's activity on the folk scene stretches back a lot further. 'The Devil and Tobias Ben Jacob' was the most profound example of a change in tone, while 'It's still a Beautiful World' patiently waits for that stadium moment.
Lukas Drinkwater tweeted 'good audience vibes' the morning after. The answer to that is we were only replicating what was on show from two highly engaging and stellar artists in the spotlight. The chemistry is locked in, the bond is secure and the music is supremely crafted-duo-spun-fare that links the folk fraternity with the wide expanses of the singer-songwriter hinterland. Still a few dates before the duo split for different continents, but the album is on the way and a springtime reunion is a strong possibility. BandCamp pre-orders below.
