Sometimes I'm so excited before a gig that there's a danger of disappointment, but tonight the risk was of a lack of enthusiasm. I booked for this sold out show several weeks ago, on the promise of The Staves' début album. Yet, on listening to Dead & Born & Grown for the first time last week, my expectations for tonight plummeted, due to its musical conservatism. The three sisters from Watford have played safe, despite the production skills of Glyn and Ethan Johns. In an effort to please middle England, they haven't attempted to push any creative boundaries. Laura Marling moulds a similar blend of British folk and Americana into a more engaging form, whilst for genre stretching excitement, they could learn something from the impact of Los Angeles' Haim (to feature on this blog shortly).
First on though was Luke Sital-Singh, a singer songwriter from New Malden, London who performed solo with guitar. He ambitiously cites influences of Fleet Foxes, Josh Ritter and Damien Rice, yet it is Bon Iver who's utmost in the mind thanks to the falsetto vocals. He gave an emotional performance, the singing predominantly quiet. This takes courage to bring off, and stood at the front I could sense some nervousness. He reached climaxes of great passion, sometimes at the expense of accuracy of intonation (but perhaps I'm judging from a classical perspective). I see a performer near the beginning of his career with great potential, and as he gains more experience he will refine his presentation. Even now though, he has the ability to seize the audience's attention with his subtle musicianship and surprising energy.
Tonight was my first live music experience after travelling to pursue one of my other interests. I was hoping for some magic, my soul being in need of revitalisation. The Staves gave an exceptional performance vocally, their blend absolutely impeccable and naturally unforced. Coping adroitly with some somewhat inappropriate banter from an inebriated audience member, their chatter between songs set up a warm rapport with the audience. The group's colourful language broke the ice, yet I wonder if it was a subconscious attempt to compensate for a lack of edge in their music. The highlights of the short set were Mexico, for its charming melody, and the Wisely and Slow which was sung a capella by the three sisters in a huddle at the centre of the stage.
The audience for this sold out show was remarkably hushed, in fact captivated, despite being squashed into the small venue. Their recent support for Bon Iver has raised their profile, as did the Civil Wars’ advocacy last year. After seeing The Staves in April at The Deaf Institute, I had concerns about the music’s lack of substance, writing that it was too comfortable, lacking variety of mood. Sadly their new material hasn't altered this judgement. They do have considerable vocal talent, and with such skill in the classical world they’d be able to interpret the masterpieces of the last few hundred years. Yet, in the pop world, we expect our performers to be composers too. An exception is the performance of covers, and this set could have benefited greatly from inclusion of some of these, in the manner of First Aid Kit.
The Staves are accompanied by both a drummer and a bass player on this tour; they remained subtlety in the background. David Bryne’s points out in his excellent book How Music Works that classical musicians often have difficulty playing popular music because they're deceived by its apparent simplicity, and so miss the subtleties. The Staves certainly understand such nuances, and in consequence perform with touching sensitivity. Yet, they left me waiting for the revelation which didn't arrive: it was gorgeous but earth-bound experience, a voyage which failed to make orbit.
Set List
The audience for this sold out show was remarkably hushed, in fact captivated, despite being squashed into the small venue. Their recent support for Bon Iver has raised their profile, as did the Civil Wars’ advocacy last year. After seeing The Staves in April at The Deaf Institute, I had concerns about the music’s lack of substance, writing that it was too comfortable, lacking variety of mood. Sadly their new material hasn't altered this judgement. They do have considerable vocal talent, and with such skill in the classical world they’d be able to interpret the masterpieces of the last few hundred years. Yet, in the pop world, we expect our performers to be composers too. An exception is the performance of covers, and this set could have benefited greatly from inclusion of some of these, in the manner of First Aid Kit.
The Staves are accompanied by both a drummer and a bass player on this tour; they remained subtlety in the background. David Bryne’s points out in his excellent book How Music Works that classical musicians often have difficulty playing popular music because they're deceived by its apparent simplicity, and so miss the subtleties. The Staves certainly understand such nuances, and in consequence perform with touching sensitivity. Yet, they left me waiting for the revelation which didn't arrive: it was gorgeous but earth-bound experience, a voyage which failed to make orbit.
Set List
- The Motherlode
- Icarus
- Pay Us No Mind
- In The Long Run
- Facing West
- Tongue Behind my Teeth
- Mexico
- Wisely Intro
- Snow
- Eagle Song
- Dead and Born and Grown
- Winter Trees
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