My admiration for Natalie Prass' album meant that I eagerly anticipated seeing her for the first time, in my favourite small Manchester venue. Yet, I also felt some apprehension, as the record's appeal owes much to her association with Matthew E White, with whom she formed a band at school in Virginia. Unlike co-producer Trey Pollard, he's absent from the stage, but it was Matthew's Spacebomb Records project that provided the richly layered studio sound. In fact, the success of his own releases led to Natalie's début being being delayed for three years. The touring quartet is relatively stripped down at the side of the intricate arrangements on record, which involved over 30 musicians. I missed the strings and horns, but the band was one of the more successful elements of the act: their sound was tight, and they were clearly at ease performing together. The Music Hall was packed for this sold out show, and there was a palpable excitement in her air.
Natalie's stagecraft was surprisingly polished and confident for an act on tour for the first time this year, betraying her experience of touring in Jenny Lewis' band. Her persona was confident, the rapport with the audience warm, and she roamed freely and expressively around the stage with much enthusiasm, She even managed to be self depreciating about her outfit's similarity to pyjamas, which looked as if it might have drawn inspiration from the outfits she made for dogs whilst waiting for the record to be released. Yet, this levity is at odds with the heartbreak in the lyrics: Christy is about a love triangle, whilst in the stand-out Bird of Prey, she sings of her relationship: 'you leave me no choice but to run away'. Given the tone of the lyrics, I was therefore surprised not to be moved; alas, for once live music failed to transport me to another place to the exclusion of worldly anxiety.
There was no shortage of delicacy or dynamics, but I found Natalie's voice to be a barrier to a deeper appreciation of the meaning. Another, more esteemed blogger Tweeted that this show was all about voices, yet for me a lack of expression and limited tonal range obscured the depth of the lyrics, and felt as at odds with the richness of the accompaniment. I accept this may be a minority view: I've seen nothing but positive reviews for her live shows, and Pitchfork's Best New Music accolade for the album reflected the buzz around her appearance on the scene. Her vocals have been compared to Diana Ross' and others have appreciated their light delicacy. Perhaps it's also a reflection of taste: whilst I find the Americana influence in the studio band endearing, perhaps I lack an affinity with the 70's pop influences. Tellingly, I found her cover of Ryan Adams' Winding Wheel far more effective than that of Janet Jackson's Any Time, Any Place.
The band played for almost an hour and a half, eking out the limited album material, yet inexplicably skipping Violently. It's therefore not surprising that it was uneven in musical inspiration. Manchester of course lacked Ryan Adams and Jessie Ware, surprise guests whom Natalie had invited on stage the previous evening in London. Yet, at the end of the main set, there was finally a hint of the emotional engagement I'd been seeking, with a stirring rendition of My Baby Don't Understand Me, a hushed performance of Reprise and a focused delivery of Why Don't You Believe In Me: the audience, who'd been quiet throughout became completely hushed. For all her showmanship, Natalie is clearly sensitive, but perhaps she finds the emotional rawness hinted at in the lyrics too painful or personal to bring into the arena of public performance. With a confident demeanour, she appears to have the resilience to deal with adversity: perhaps I struggled to fully appreciate her talents because I identify with confessional artists who acknowledge their vulnerability more openly.
Set List
- Your Fool
- Never Over You
- It Is You
- Last Time
- Winding Wheel (Ryan Adams Cover)
- Christy
- Bird of Prey
- Any Time, Any Place (Janet Jackson cover)
- Everybody (solo)
- Walk On By (with Chanele McGuiness)
- Jass (new song)
- My Baby Don't Understand Me
- Reprise
- Why Don't You Believe in Me
- You Keep Me Hangin' On (The Supremes cover)
Postscript July 2016
I came away from this gig feeling deflated, and disappointed: my high expectations for the act behind one of my albums of the year were dashed. Yet, in reply to another blogger on Twitter, she admitted that this gig shouldn't have taken place on the day after a major date in London, as the band was 'downright exhausted'. She also alluded to sound issues, having complained mid way through the set of feedback. I hope you have greater luck than I did should you decide to see Natalie Prass; it's unfortunate my first encounter with the artist didn't give not the most auspicious impression.
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