Sharp wit, improvisation and audience interaction were all
on the agenda when Ben Folke Thomas called into Birmingham’s Kitchen Garden Café on
this latest short set of dates around the land of his second home. The dry
charm of an artist, suggestively nomadically labelled as ‘Swedish Americana’, aligns
well with his supremely crafted straightforward songs and a vocal style as deep
as the subterranean substance of his lyrical material. Without hesitation this
evening can be classed as a success.
This return trip to Birmingham saw Ben cross the road from
his last appearance at the Hare and Hounds, and the more intimate surroundings
of the Kitchen Garden Café were more suited to this solo performance. The solo
status was taken to the extreme that no support was allotted to the show thus
presenting Ben with the two set opportunity to showcase material from both
his albums and a few other songs lacking a recorded home at the moment.
While the strength of Ben’s songs is the ultimate currency
of a professional living, the irreverent banter helped further fuel the
enjoyment of this gig. Quintessentially a live show is just that with the
personal connection being irreplaceable via any other medium. This is probably
the most appropriate summary of the evening, leaving the best outcome of a
review in tempting others to seek out the live experience for themselves. Quite
simply Ben Folke Thomas makes venturing out to see an engaging
singer-songwriter in the domain of their expertise a worthwhile choice of leisure
pursuit.
For a brief record on some of the noted pinpointed moments, ‘Woman I Love’ is my favourite track of
Ben’s and continues to retain that status after hearing it live again. ‘Sex Addict’ has the most surreal of lyrical
inspirations and remains an easy song for a fully warmed up audience to join
in. ‘Dream About You Baby’ was the
most enhanced song heard on the evening and raced up the appreciation ladder.
Finally ‘Finn’ continues to sum up
Ben’s outlook as a songwriter refusing to be bound by borders, a recurring
theme on the evening.
One thing guaranteed is that Ben Folke Thomas is going to be
around for a long time and there should be plenty of opportunities to see both
his band and solo shows in the future. Having seen each format, you can take
your pick as the merit flows equally. The certainty of Ben appealing from a
multitude of angles is a priceless quality to possess and the live acoustic/folk/roots/country/Americana
or any respectful music scene is strengthened by his presence.
