Feeling under the weather, I made a concerted effort to embark on the two hour round trip to Manchester this Sunday evening. Timothy Showalter had connected with me when I Tweeted about the gig a couple of weeks ago, and I had a feeling it was going to be a revitalising experience. As it happened, he was also recovering from a fever, joking that his medication meant that he wasn't able to drink his usual 'considerable' amount. There was no lack of energy in Strand of Oaks’ playing, but I suspect the atmosphere was more subdued than at some of his home gigs, where I've heard of stage diving into the crowd during the encore. Support act Eliza Shaddad received a remarkably hushed response from this audience, who were moved by her stripped down set. She’s collaborated with Clean Bandit, but the subtlety here in her singing was a world away from their extrovert dance pop.
The title of Showalter's latest album is Heal, referring to the revitalising power of music, which seemed particularly relevant in the circumstances. Listening to their music is an exceptionally emotional experience. A song like Plymouth sounds reminiscent of fellow Philadelphians The War on Drugs, whilst JM has Neil Young Influences. Others have compared Strand of Oaks to My Morning Jacket, yet for me the most illuminating parallel is with blue collar rockers Augustines. Billy McCarthy would surely have approved of Showalter's choice of encore last night, Used Cars by Bruce Springsteen. Yet, a troubled back story is most salient point of comparison. Both acts are characteristically American in their confessional nature, baring their souls on stage. Showalter's experienced much adversity, from his wife's affair, to his house burning down, and a narrow escape from death in a car accident on Christmas Day last year. He explained: 'I think the writing (of Heal) was therapeutic in the sense that if I wouldn't have done it, I don’t think I could've functioned'.
Yet the impact of this gig was uplifting, the experience of retelling these personal crises through music proving cathartic. The band above all seemed incredibly grateful to be performing and Showalter gave a heartfelt account of the significance of iconic Manchester bands in his youth. There is an anthemic feel to the climaxes and Mike Sneering's thundering drums provided impact. Eliza Hardy Jones harmonised the vocals, and her keyboard provided an 80's influence in songs like Same Emotions. Yet this is classic rock, and extended instrumental sections in heavier songs like For Me that were most absorbing, as Showalter shredded on his black Fender with bass player and best friend Deven Craige. This was in contrast to the more subdued interlude mid set, when he explored folk influenced material from two of his early albums. This section ended with a dramatic rendition of Woke Up To the Light, the full band joining the stage as it reached its climax.
There's such a strong sense of release in Strand of Oaks' music: it's as if years of battling adversity whist playing gentle, restrained music have been joyfully thrown aside in favour of full blooded rock. Showalter tosses his hair around as he delves deep, the word 'Survive' tattooed on his right forearm. Heal surely deserves to be one of the albums of the year. Showalter told an anecdote about this audience being better behaved than the students he taught at the Orthodox Jewish school he worked at for two years. I do wish there had been more reciprocation of the energy from the band by the crowd, but they were clearly appreciative. The evening ended with warm emotions, Showalter coming down from stage and hugging a number of audience members. For all the adversity in the lyrics, this was a profoundly healing experience: a form of therapy for all parties present.
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