Gig Quest: Rhiannon Giddens - Town Hall, Birmingham. Thursday 22nd February 2024

 

Rhiannon Giddens is a beacon for meaningful music. The self-described 'cultural archaeologist' brings many facets to the stage underpinned by definable musical talent and a sense for enlightened justice. This Limerick-based North Carolinian is in a buoyant phase of a celebrated career. The wider world has embraced a new album delivering a rare delve into entirely original material, while seismic potential surfaces from playing banjo on Beyonce's dip into country music. For a smaller set, the enticing prospect of touring with a full band has built upon the esteem of generating appreciation from more slimline stage set ups. Twelve months on from a duo performance at Birmingham Town Hall with partner Francesco Turrisi, the multi-dimensional six-piece line up returned to the zone and the transformation was immense without shedding any intimate personal appeal.

A major development between shows was the liberation of Giddens from a fairly intense performer to a majestic band leader. It transpires the musicians in tow have been around for a while, but in the five times seeing her play live over the last nine years their full presence can't be recalled. Memorable nights are born from inventive bouts of excellence and the barometer of Rhiannon Giddens stock edged further upwards after two stunning sets in the final throes of the current tour. 

Momentum was a key factor. A tentative first set received an energy boost via Dirk Powell's cajun instrumental medley after a cautious start. The opening peak was reached with the vibrant airing of 'You Louisiana Man' off the the latest album YOU'RE THE ONE just before a halt for intermission. The second half wasted little time in hitting the straps and the pace soared until the crowning closing moment of the whole venue in active unison to a rousing rendition of 'Up Above My Head'. 

Powell, from Lafayette Louisiana, is a widely renowned American roots purveyor with multiple strings and keys filling the air this evening from a musical prowess. He was the architect of the back-to-basics segment when the the band stepped up front to deliver a timeless take on 'God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign' and another upbeat old time rural song injecting retro energy into the air. 

With the fiddle and banjo of Giddens holding court in the centre, the front row was completed by Congolese guitarist Niwel Tsumbo bringing African rhythms to the sound. He also thrived in the spotlight when afforded the space to spin a couple of tunes.

The sturdy backfield of drummer Attis Clopton, bassist Jason Sypher continually hopping between stand up and electric and the aforementioned Turisso added a dynamic solidity. The latter, a firm fixture next to Rhiannon Giddens in all aspects of her life, brought an air of his Italian roots with an instrumental piece titled 'Briggs' Forro', although international horizons are blurred when music emanates from the keys and accordion of this distinguished performer. 

The set list called at various points of Giddens' solo career. Highlights from the new album included the poignant 'Another Wasted Life', the compellingly uplifting 'Hen in the Foxhouse' and the accomplished 'Yet to Be'. Another top moment from a special night was an emotive version of 'We Could Fly' off the FREEDOM HIGHWAY album. As per usual, the spoken moments exuded passion, intellect and insightful intuition. 

While intent shifts into a genre-less sphere, the music of Rhiannon Giddens spawns evidence of certain styles being re-energised and re-focussed. It shines a light on embedded traits and paves the way for evolution. Country, folk, old-time string music and any other type pulling in the talents of this performing maestro is given a boost. Although strong forces dictate the mission on many fronts, Rhiannon Giddens purrs with entertainment value. Wrap the message with appeal and its lessons will prosper. 

Album Review: Spencer LaJoye - Shadow Puppets

 

www.spencerlajoye.com

Combining the subtleties of indie folk and the sweetness of introspective pop sees the full length debut from Spencer LaJoye blossom across its wholly owned template. The themes of SHADOW PUPPETS re-define the boundaries of personal discovery in an immensely engaging manner. Through a dozen tracks bursting with lyrical intent, a door is opened on a world of making sense of things leading to the calming waters of reassurance. Gender identity and religion entwine as a songwriter seeks solace in their art. LaJoye effectively deploys their own elaborately primed vocals across a musical landscape layered with succulent strings, subtle synth and essential acoustic guitar embedding a slice of simplicity into a complex world. 

Believing in Lajoye's long and ongoing journey, on a literal plane from south west Michigan to Boston but so much more from a queer artist finding solace in music, takes hold with a minimal dive into the songs and associated trappings. The writing sways between metaphorical and muses of a more straight up nature. Titles evolve from the opening track 'Shadow Puppets' implying an alternative view on life and the mid-placed 'The Joker', where confessions bubble over, to a trio of fully exposed pieces at the end in 'Surgery', 'Someday You'll Wake Up Okay' and 'Forgiveness'. While detaching the sound from the intent would lose some of the effect, there is an independent charm to 'Chaotic Neutral' that sparkles with a touch of country pop melodic glitter. 

SHADOW PUPPETS is the culmination of a rebirth. Under their new name, Spencer LaJoye has spent the last few years tossing small projects into the wider world, all building up to the inner seismic move of telling a profound and well-crafted story. Strong vibes and powerful words wrapped in an accessible package make the music stand out commandeering understanding, respect and solidarity. The strength of this artistic pursuit penetrates boundaries and you sense a cathartic experience in the making. If the cherry was far reaching acceptance, this can be unreservedly offered.

Album Review: Matt Owens and the Delusional Vanity Project - Way Out West

 

www.mattowensmusic.com

Remove the name irony and you have a rollicking good UK band adding fully fledged homegrown sensibilities into the beating heart of 'transatlantic implied Americana'. You sense the work of Matt Owens bubbling upwards in recent years and the latest output overflows with guile, potency and richly layered rock-infused songwriting intent. The journey from the heady heights of Noah and the Whale to unlocking the treasures of the Delusional Vanity Project is shaping up conveniently for listeners switched on to Matt Owens' organic approach to cultivating a fresh identity. WAY OUT WEST toys with heartfelt sentiment and tightly spun rock defining the current space commandeered. 

Two tracks into the album and high octane cards are laid on the table. If charging your listener with upbeat energy from the off is the aim then look no further than the rocking duo of 'One for the Grapes' and 'Glasgow City Lights'. The former wastes no time in the opening slot inducing head nodding, foot tapping and hip moving within the realm of a funky rock beat. The latter is an unabated slice of air punching heartland rock re-fashioned for the UK's urban landscape. All good albums have finely tuned gear changes and '5 Years into Marriage' fabulously spins the axis of momentum. The result is an updating of the quintessential duet with no shortage of pain, panache and ladles of touching honesty. The esteemed Hannah White is Owens' duet partner and an ideal match from a close knit movement of shared ideals. The slower pace is retained as the offering slips into 'You're Not Gone' a song capably toughening up the ballad arena with a tender core peeping out of a gruff exterior.

The Delusional Vanity Project is a bunch of talented musicians and they get ample outings to shine across the record. One such instance is on 'Blindsided by Time' where the band focus ramps up on a mid-tempo rocker with guitar parts strutting out full of polish and pomp. In contrast, the next track 'Morning Light' draws you specifically into the vocals of Owens exposing a depth of purpose.

The second half of this eleven track collection kicks off with a couple songs suggesting things are now in full swing. 'Both Sides of the Line' nails the concept of melody in another finely curated mid-tempo effort creating the perfect template for vocals, lyrics and band input to flourish. There are moments when a change of tack re-enforces the album's appeal and 'The Bard of the Bars' meets the challenge here. This spritely piano-driven number with a folk underbelly embodies the classic English pop song story as perfected by the iconic Ray Davies and framed by Matt Owens for the modern age. 

Harmonica is a perpetual feature of the sound and its intro opens a window on the wares of 'Hope the Darkness Pulls You Through', where the song lures you into a deeper listen, likely to the the delight of a songwriter craving for their work to be savoured and understood. The track has an added dimension of a further Delusional Vanity Project interjection to provide greater flavour. This seamlessly leads into 'Death, Sickness and Heartache' possessing the  appeal of the band being let off the leash with amazing results. The common trait of an acoustic closer concludes a super release with harmonica interludes weaving their way into a final story song rinsed in nostalgia. Name checking is rife as a journey is documented. Listen closely to 'Twickenham Station' and it all comes together in the final throes. 

Optimum pace, sincere songwriting and a cultured band input give WAY OUT WEST the substance to capture the present. Matt Owens escorts open ears through a journey of thoughtful song and portable sound. Whether rocking out or guiding you through softer moments, you sense an innate talent coming to fruition. This is one vanity project far from delusional. 

Gig Quest: Thea Gilmore - The Glee Club, Birmingham. Tuesday 6th February 2024

 

Three tours into the re-set and this new phase of 'Thea Gilmore live' is taking shape. Solo has become the de facto format with the extra dimension of improvised additions to meet the halfway point between pure acoustic and some element of a band. Whether the latter resumes is conjecture for another day, the present is owned by an artist appearing content, purveying peace and kindness and feeling a mutual love of playing live. There was a change of venue for the Birmingham date of the latest tour. After twice staging shows at the MAC, she returned to the city centre and graced the stage of The Glee Club for the first time in over a dozen years. A commendable turnout had the honour of sampling a cross section of her work ranging from an earlier album now turned twenty-one to last year's record courting an all-encompassing remark of 'contentious'. This didn't stop many quarters from hailing the self-titled album a landmark release, but like much of Thea Gilmore's output, time tested tends to be the true outcome when new music lands.

After hiring the services of a poet to open the last tour, type was reverted with Manchester-based singer-songwriter Liam Frost commandeering the thirty-minute support slot armed with an acoustic guitar and several self-penned songs to share. All the attributes were in place to deliver a meaningful set: fine playing, good voice, amenable demeanour and poetic intent. Maybe the addition of a song that you took home would have enhanced things. On the other hand, spending time with Thea Gilmore has the ability to rectify.

In the recording world, we are now back in the realm of 'Thea Gilmore'. The re-set album that proved the centrepiece of tours in 2021 and 2022 was released under the name Afterlight. Far from being a diminished entity, we were informed the guise may be just resting and could make a return when the time is right. Strip away the cover and you are left with one of England's finest singer-songwriters over the last twenty years, capable of making music to mix with the best, while never straying far from her roots.

From an extensive catalogue, the setlist constructed for Birmingham possessed an inclusive feel to welcome seasoned admirers and fresh ears inspired more by curiosity than experience. The album spread ran from a couple of tracks lifted off 2003's AVALANCHE ('Razor Valentine' and 'Mainstream') to a superb quintet representing the latest record. First heard from this in the 90-minute set was 'The Chance', one of a couple played on keyboards. She quipped of being told of its Billy Joel likeness, not too far off the mark with respect to its lighter content than the usual Thea Gilmore fare. 'Unravel Me' soon followed and is likely to be a live staple for years to come. Three songs punching their way to the album summit came in succession to close the show. The part song-part poem 'The Bright Service' is a masterclass in poetic lyricism. 'Like a tsunami, a one woman army, it took a pharmacy to calm me' is a line for the ages. 'She Speaks in Colours' sheds new light when the background is shared and came across in a moment of sublimity. 'That's Love Mother Fucker' is the festival song that will never be played at one. No problem at The Glee Club as the audience miked its punky vibes and clever irony. 

Thea Gilmore and covers have a sensitive and strategic relationship. 'Bad Moon Rising' and its zombie story is regularly on the menu, but even that measured version was trumped by a new addition this evening. 'Girls Just Wanna have Fun' is a song with many identities possessing endearing qualities that never fade. When stripped back it gets better and better, none more so than the version framed tonight.

Invited audience participation seemed more prevalent than the other Thea Gilmore shows seen over the last five years. Maybe a reflection of the artist's desire to connect. Her audience may not be exposed to loops and drum machines too often, but the room is at one when this approach is activated and the effect is becoming an integral part of the live presence. While adaptability is one virtue: stature, poise and a distinctive voice bristle from a performer blessed with innate talent.

Other notable highlights from the show included a version of 'The War' also played on the keyboards and forever dedicated to the late Jo Cox to show an empathy forming a belief. Pickings were slim from the Afterlight project with 'Friendly Little Heart Attack' being the sole inclusion. Finally, the ever popular 'Rise' always illuminates a room.

A comparison between 2021 and the present is a poignant place to close this chapter. The sheer intensity and feeling emanating from that first post-pandemic Birmingham outing was utterly beguiling and memorably ingrained. Afterlight clearly served a purpose. We are now in calmer waters. Intensity is replaced by a distinguished aura. Both fuse the connection between artist and audience in a way gift wrapped for live music. 

Gig Quest: Gordie Tentrees & Jaxon Haldane - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Monday 5th February 2024

 

A thirty-hour trip home may have been next up for Gordie Tentrees but nothing was going to be left on the table after the final show of his latest UK tour. In a lengthy and extensive performing existence, wooing new towns is second nature for a Canadian where the travelling gene is as imperative as one born to share songs and stories. The call of the road is a must when your base is the town of Whitehorse located in the far north western Canadian province of Yukon. Learning that over a thousand shows have been played with existing touring partner Jaxon Haldene alongside hundreds more in different guises translates into distance being no obstacle. Therefore a shortish hop from Scotland to Birmingham would be small feed to a serial gig player. Not a minute was wasted to engage the fresh ears of a Kitchen Garden audience from a booming opening note to closing an hour and a quarter later with an audience singalong to Fred Eaglesmith's '49 Tons'.

An evening extending to almost two hours of riveting roots music began with an impromptu collaboration between Jaxon Haldane and English fiddle player Samantha Flounders. We learned they only hooked up at an earlier show on the tour and this was a fleeting chance to add extra depth to the core presentation. The opening forty-five minute set saw Haldane primarily deliver his own songs from banjo and guitar with Flounders' sweet sounding fiddle proving the perfect accompaniment. A little bit of Haldane's Winnipeg background was shared and it was obvious being in the presence of an assured and astute operator. This was to prove just the starter as impressively witnessed after the break.

There was a short pause before Haldane joined his long term musical partner to commence the main set. Immediately, a vocal burst from Tentrees jolted the music into action and things never looked back. A pattern soon emerged of Tentrees owning the vocal, song and banter part with his partner showing an extraordinary dexterity of stringed instrument playing. He constantly switched between a numerous array of guitar, banjo, mandolin, cigar box contraptions including one seemingly electrified and the bog standard DIY saw that occasionally pops up in folk instrument arsenals. Haldane's immense versatility contributed heavily to the show's success.

Gordie Tentrees has a backstory, charismatic personality and innate musical entertainment qualities to own the spotlight in invited spaces. The sound projects with voluminous intensity, likely schooled in spit and sawdust establishments sprinkled across the vast Canadian and US heartlands. The more refined confines of the Kitchen Garden's jungle room had a taste of life on the other side as we delved deeper into what forms Tentrees as an artist, performer and person. 

The set raced along with intermittent pit stops of candid banter capable of piercing the heart of sterner souls. Connective admiration grew the more Tentrees unveiled the inner workings of a background and approach to life. Underpinning a gracious and increasingly warm demeanour was a batch of boisterous songs brought to life via the strumming of a couple of guitars and evoking the folk music spirit by punctuated harmonica blowing. Invited audience participation further sealed the deal and when the inevitable curtain was drawn, you felt invigorated by the music of an artist you knew a lot more about than a couple of hours previously. The evening ended with all three artists tangling wires in a cramped space for the encore, once again adding the depth offered earlier. 

Although the UK has long featured on Gordie Tentrees' vast international touring schedule, this was a Birmingham debut and a fitting performance to engage with new people before embarking on the long haul back to Whitehorse. Without doubt, this intrepid Canadian will soon be off again bringing smiles, uplifting stories and fine music to fresh faces and seasoned fans. Plant your seeds far and wide and forests will grow.