Eighteen months have elapsed since Angel Snow last played
the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham and changes were very much at a finely tuned
minimum as she returned to play one of the opening dates on her latest UK tour. On the upgrade side, last time’s solo
performance grew into a duo as Angel teamed up with English guitarist Joe
Wilkins to provide the perfect stringed accompaniment to her supremely crafted
songs. Additionally, a set of new tunes began the journey from artist to
listener as she introduced her latest record, an EP titled ARROWS. Whether
Angel delivered her signature song, ‘Lie
Awake’, from nearly a decade ago now, or brand new numbers like ‘Maze’ and ‘Window Seat’, the shear magnetic quality was unyielding and matching
the magnitude of a blue chip blueprint.
On her previous visit, which doubled up on the touring front
with Danish singer-songwriter Ida Wenoe, Angel split the guitar duties between
acoustic and electric, with the latter contributing to the evening’s atmospheric
ambience. This time Angel handed all the electric duties to Joe and his subtle excellence
ensured each of the songs had a coating of the most mindful of soundtracks.
Left to concentrate on acoustic guitar and generous inter-song chats, the
vocals never sounded better using the combination of slight amplification and
venue acoustics to induce a state of blissful serenity to those in listening
distance.
Running through a set of songs dated old and new, highlights
joining the aforementioned Angel Snow classic (for those uninitiated ‘Lie Awake’ was cut by Alison Krauss on
her PAPER AIRPLANE album, but each rendition by the originator seals the
ownership) included ‘I Need You’ and
a mesmerising version of ‘Vienna’
just the before the closing moment came. Fact is the high quality plateau never
lowered all set.
One conundrum occurring each time Angel Snow plays a live
show is why this Franklin resident (the one just south of Nashville) has not
been more prolific on the recording front. In turn, she probably remains an
untapped talent to a wider audience, a situation that contradicts the enormous
impact she has on those aligned with the hypnotic vibes of her songs in full
flow. However, fate follows certain paths and at least being able to savour
these songs in intimate settings on what is becoming a regular basis is a
blessing.
The notion of leaving the audience wanting more was perhaps
taken a little to the extreme during this show with a playing time of sixty
minutes (without a support) probably short by a quarter of an hour in the eyes
of most people. The impeccable performance left the overall show in the credit
column, but maybe some pondering thoughts generate when assessing the balance
between content and customer investment, the latter in both cost and time.
These Angel Snow shows do rather tiptoe into the gig
landscape, but the impact of the evening resonates in the aftermath. This Kitchen
Garden return was a triumph of substance over hyperbole and those attending had
the pleasure of a fixated musical experience.
