Monday 20th June, Union Chapel, London, Darlingside
Third church show in a week but this is of course the most stunning atmospheric setting especially for this type of beautiful music.
I thought about just copying my review of last seeing these guys three years ago because every word holds true but I will reuse this phrase. ‘This band’s music is so delicate in its simplicity and only proves, you don’t need auto tune, effects pedals or the like to produce the most sublime music’.
Onto the show. First up is SG Goodman, accompanied on stage with another guitarist. SG is on fine form both vocally and also in her repertoire of stories, jokes and anecdotes. It’s a short sharp set and my only comment is that opening up the show for an audience who probably don’t know you, maybe they could have ditched some of the stories and played a couple more songs. Enough there for me to seek out the new album.
Onto the main act it’s the usual minimal set with four microphones closely set together. It’s a semi unplugged show with banjo, cello, acoustic guitar, violin, mandolin with a bit of electric bass and guitar thrown in. The musicianship is superb but it’s those close harmonies that leaves you in awe. Not a murmur in the crowd as we just sit back and drown in those rich voices. There is no real lead singer on most tracks as they are all singing every word in the most beautiful four part close harmony. Think Beach Boys, the Byrds throw in some Simon and Garfunkel but in the range of say Elliot Smith.
The set pull tracks from across their catalogue with a chunk from their lockdown album of 2020. Their on stage presence and interaction is charming and amusing. Like before they are embracing the quirks of our country whether this being the politeness of waiting staff, my love or stories about the exotic English food they have sampled but mainly Jaffa cakes.
Highlights tonight start at the opening track right through to the last bar, the last strum, the last word of the last song. And yes I was humming ‘hold your head up high’ all the way home. A truly wonderful evening made even more special by the setting, acoustics and lighting.
Chalk this up as another stunning 2022 return to normality tour
Keep on harmonising rockin’ y’all.