Kassi Valazza is one of two West Coast singer-songwriters Loose Music have introduced to UK audiences on a more formal basis this year. While Angelica Rockne made a brief visit to our shores in August, the Portland-based Valazza is getting wider exposure with a second run of dates just about to end. This October return is part of a more extensive European tour and new venues across the UK have been sought. The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham is not your usual hangout for touring artists of an Americana slant, but was chosen to host the penultimate show of the UK leg.
The ironically titled album KASSI VALAZZA KNOWS NOTHING has been the introduction for many this year and is one of two releases in the back catalogue. As this show evolved, a couple of new songs were shared alongside plans afoot for another Kassi Valazza record. Needless to say the style was similar and those who have fallen in love with the symbolic cosmic strand of country-laced folk rock with revel in this continuation.
A trio format is in place for this tour. Tobias Berblinger diligently plays keyboard, while Lewi Longmire regularly switches between electric guitar and lap steel. Together they create a subtle atmospheric sound that perfectly entwines with songs escalating into the upper echelons of a sonic stratosphere. As a trio they come across as calming, placid and introspective. A notable intensity and dedication to their chosen craft is also detected leading to a blissful musical output.
Valazza’s songs are tough complex compositions. Snippets of melody take hold, but the true worth is when you dig a little deeper into a divine structure and meticulous construction. This art is truly nailed from a purist perspective.
This evening’s set ran to 70 minutes in length and followed a half hour slot by London-based singer-songwriter Henry Grace. His songs and style heavily lent towards Americana even if he admitted that the journey in this direction has been coincidental. The presence of this new name to many in the room provided a good fit to what we were about to experience.
You get the impression that Kassi Valazza is finding her feet with British audiences. The polite pauses can throw an artist into an awkward spot. The music certainly comes before the chat. Only the odd song had an introduction never mind any insight. Sometimes you have to accept that getting to know a new artist by intended design is secondary to exploring the core art of their craft.
By the end of this show, there was a profound stamp of the music in your mind. One conclusion was the slim differentiation between listening on record and in person. A fine outcome if this is your driver for venturing out on a Sunday evening, but room for development that may or may not happen if you want a touch more stage craft.
There was a consensus after the gig that a dedicated listening seated venue would have better suited this show than a city centre basement bar. Wise ears with their feet on the ground can be useful guides.
There is little doubt that the unveiling of the studiously talented Kassi Valazza to new audiences who understand her psyche is a coup. Music oozed from the stage occasionally tinged with trippy psychedelia on a higher plane with vast riches in grasp for those levitating their own senses. This match can be a unique experience and one to treasure when the connective process is aligned.