A hushed vocal glow; facial expressions living each lyric line; delicate playing conveying an ambient mood; an audience awash with cathartic bliss. It felt like a personal invitation. The reality was Michele Stodart breathing every moment of her new album INVITATION.
The Temperance in Leamington Spa redefines intimacy. A little readjustment is needed when you first descend into its basement. More so when every space is taken for a sold out show. You initially look for a potential exit until the music starts then you’re locked into an artist’s tightly spun web of allure.
Michele Stodart is famed for her animated bass playing in the group she co-founded around 20 years ago. While the Magic Numbers occasionally spring into action for both pop up and short run shows plus the odd record, its members plough on with a surfeit of other projects. Stodart, and her brother Romeo, are highly active in the capital’s music scene, and from time to time Michele hurtles herself into breathtaking solo mode. The latest album is her first since PIECES in 2016 and an adoring fan base far and wide will yearn for a shorter gap before the next one. Word on the street from interviews and a glorious finale to this evening’s show indicate the wait will be shorter.
For this album launch tour, a band of Andy Bruce (piano), David Ford (guitars) and Emma Holbrook (drums) meticulous provide optimum support, subtly in the first half for a tender album rendition and more expressive after the break when the hair gets a little looser. Stodart herself starts on acoustic guitar, the perfect accompaniment for eight emotive burners played exactly in the intended order and ripe for a listening party. Afterwards the Gretsch cranks up for some fun. No bass tonight but still the charismatic charm of the Michel Stodart so fondly loved by tuned in-fans.
There was a song arc to the main event. ‘Tell Me’ opens the album so did likewise tonight. It is one of the most compelling songs heard all year and is perfect for enticing the ear. You knew the night would be special from its instinctive infectious tone. A couple of hours later we were presented with the parting gift of ‘Dismiss Me’, hailed as a new song and offered so much space to flourish that the band took an early breather. A magical end promising more in good time.
There has been a different support for each show on the tour so far. For this second Midlands show after wooing the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, singer-songwriter George Boomsma was invited to open. He didn’t have far to travel since re-locating from the north to the creative start up-filled Birmingham suburb of Stirchley. After sharing a batch of precisely executed lo-fi songs, there was one more twist: joining Michele on stage for the second half of her set to duet on Neil Young’s ‘Birds’. A glorious version.
On an evening promoting an album rich in the 'less is more mantra', there is little more to be said about the first half. The eight tracks are out to be savoured. Catching its entire performance in this format is recommended but other listens can accrue equal pleasure. Michele Stodart did her album proud with just enough chat to paint its warmth on a tight canvas.
The intensity lifted after the break. A handful of more upbeat numbers prior to the closer renewed the vibes and brought more facets into play. Ford ratcheted up the guitars and blew some harmonica, Bruce revelled in the odd solo and Holbrook took the invite to lift the beat literally. They were a top notch band adept at matching a malleable mood.
Temperance is fast becoming an established venue on the provincial roots circuit. It tends to focus on folk and blues with an eye on artists swaying between the up and coming and those hooked into the intimate appeal of a locked-in listening space. Michele Stodart rode the ripple of a concentration that had a placid exterior but was so active within the engrossed mind. This was music at its most connective.
A special night sharing a special album adheres to the 'less is more mantra' as the final word.
