The Tallest Man On Earth, Albert Hall Manchester 23rd October 2015 8/10

A key influence on this evening, Bon Iver, was present in Manchester only in spirit. Justin Vernon contributed backing vocals to Phil Cook's new album, Southland Mission, alongside Frazey Ford. Phil modestly described himself as a 'side man', being a member of Megafaun and one of my favourite projects, Hiss Golden Messenger. The solo set was most notable for the fevered guitar playing, and the warm, gently humorous rapport he established with the audience, though I missed the Americana accompaniment of his band. Guitar is also key to Kristian Matsson's sound: classically trained, he changed style after listening to Nick Drake's open tuning in his 20's, which liberated him to concentrate on his vocals. Even so, he switched guitar after virtually every song, allowing him to vary tuning and tone.

 In contrast to Phil Cook's performance, there are five touring members of The Tallest Man On Earth, including the distinctive falsetto of Michael Noyce, who also plays with Bon Iver. The instrumental timbre was rich, including violin, pedal steel, and saxophone. Yet, they always felt like Kristian's backing band. This may have been influenced by my position: my close proximity to the high stage meant that they were out of sight for most of the set, on a platform at the back of the stage. Far from being an anti climax, the moments mid set when he played solo, including Love Is All and The Gardener, were highlights, gaining intensity. His first two albums were largely solo, and it's only on 2015's Dark Bird Is Home that he's embraced a fuller folk rock or chamber pop style.

Kristian sold out this 2500 capacity former Wesleyan Chapel: it's fascinating to consider why his appeal has transcended that of most folk inclined singer songwriters. Absolutely fundamental is an incredible gift for melody: just listen to Slow Dance. Combined with incredible enthusiasm on stage, this gives rise to an uplifting experience, despite the dark lyrics. The new album was influenced by his marriage breakup: Kristian explained:  'I’ve been touring for many years and spent that time romanticizing about my home and a domestic life and when I finally did it, it didn’t really work…'. The record has a fragility as a result of this and the contemporariness death of a close family member, which he refers to as 'stuff' when introducing songs. Yet, this was the 67th date on his current tour, and it seems he's at his most happy whilst taking his music on the road. Kristian's stagecraft has even been compared to Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands, such is the energy, and whenever he wasn't singing, he was moving around the stage. The band's title is ironic, though accurately describing his presence on stage, and the 5 foot 7 inch Kristian dances around lithely.

The lyrics are somewhat opaque, though he often sings of nature. Kristian commented: 'I’m not religious. I guess I’m spiritual in many ways... I’ve always daydreamed about….weird stuff, fun stuff'. This dream like quality is most endearing. His voice is distinctive, and his been compared to early Bob Dylan. Whilst it can sound raw in the studio, I was struck by its lyricism in Manchester. Like Phil Cook, he addressed the audience warmly, but the Swede has a certain awkwardness that is at odds with his extrovert demeanour onstage. This aspect of his personality is reflected more clearly in the solitude he explores in the lyrics, but it's when playing that he really draws in the audience. This was my first time seeing Tallest Man On Earth live, and I was surprised by what an uplifting, celebratory occasion he created. The setlist was generous, lasting close to  two hours, and highlights were numerous. I'll pick out the exquisite Little Nowhere Towns, where Kristian pretended to be 'out of guitars' and played piano, and his guitar duet with Noyce for Where Do My Bluebird Fly. Occasionally I wished for a greater variety of mood, finding the soft rock style slightly cloying, but ultimately the set felt fresh and joyous.

Setlist
Moonshiner
Fields of Our Home
Slow Dance
1904
Singers
Darkness of the Dream
Timothy
Love Is All
The Gardener
Thousand Ways
Sagres
If Only I Could Fly (Blaze Foley cover)
The Wild Hunt
Revelation Blues
Criminals
Little Nowhere Towns
Where Do My Bluebird Fly
King of Spain
Dark Bird is Home

Encore
The Dreamer
Like the Wheel

Frazey Ford, The Crown Ballroom Nantwich, 12th October 2015 8/10

Frazey Ford's only northern UK date on this tour took place in the sleepy market town of Nantwich, Cheshire, in a 400 year old Elizabethan building she described with a smile as 'funky'. Frazey joked about the ancient crooked staircase accessing the ballroom making you feel drunk, and the venue's spirit seemed in keeping with the rootsy music. Introducing the eighth Words and Music Festival, Nigel Stonier urged the audience to turn off their phones and refrain from chatter, asserting: 'we're all about the music'. Yet, with a support as raptly beautiful as Yorkshire's John Elliott, performing as The Little Unsaid, such a request was surely superfluous. Everyone present was utterly silent and attentive throughout, participation taking place on a deep emotional rather than visceral level. The subtlety, relaxed pace, and largely sad subject matter from both acts made this an experience which gradually drew you in, rather than assaulting the senses like fellow Canadian Metric last week.

Opening strongly with Firecracker from her first album, Obidiah, I missed the folksy banjos a little, but the religious connotations in her sometimes opaque lyrics were clear. Frazey's recent influences come from the Southern USA: as she explained last night, as anti-Vietnam War protesters, her parents fled America to a small Russian village in the Kootenays in British Columbia. Years later, Al Green's renowned Hi Rhythm Section from Memphis made contact with Frazey via email: intimidated, she explained that she took a few months to respond. Yet, this collaboration created one of my favourite albums of 2014, blending the folk and acoustic guitar sound of the Be Good Tanyas with blues and southern soul. Some may see parallels with the retro inspiration of Leon Bridges, though he brings more overt energy and drama live. Last night, it took time to appreciate the sensitive, restrained accompaniment, though once adjusted to the more leisurely pace, it's no less engaging.

Others have made comparisons with Cat Power's 2006 album The Greatest, when Chan Marshall also embraced a soul style. Yet, Frazey has an utterly distinctive, charismatic voice, with phrasing and a tone like no other. She stretches syllables, sometimes at the cost of clarity of diction, and with a limited range, but I could listen this soulful sound all day. Despite the almost consistently mournful mood and slow tempo, the ninety minute set felt intimate rather than sleepy. Frazey joked that an Otis Redding Cover was the only upbeat number in the set, and that she found political songs more problematic to write than Bob Dylan, but it was her connection to nature that resonates particularly strongly with me. A highlight was September Fields, one of the more up tempo songs, and a wonderfully nuanced rendition of the title song Indian Ocean, from her second solo album which was performed almost in full. She explained in an interview:  'There’s something about the ocean and tide – getting washed over, letting go, and how things change over time'. Performed with great restraint, this song about nature and journeying felt incredibly soothing.

Frazey's performances undoubtedly have a healing quality. She recounted how recording Weather Pattern with the Hi Rhythm Section helped to bury a 40 year old argument between the brothers about how to play a chord. That idiomatic voice becomes almost hypnotic, and eventually you're forced to succumb to its charm and lay aside your anxieties about life. Attention seeking stagecraft was totally absent; the the warm anecdotes between songs the main extra-musical means of engagement with the audience.  Frazey brought a backing singer, drummer, bass, and guitarist to Nantwich, but in songs such as You're Not Free, I missed the horn and keys which add atmosphere to the album. Yet, it was a deeply satisfying experience, giving credence to the notion music can make you a healthier, kinder person, in the same way as time spent in the wilderness. I cannot agree enough when Frazey described nature as: 'a real solace for me, a source of inspiration and creativity, and grounding,' sentiments which equally apply to her music.

Set List

• Firecracker
• You're Not Free
• Runnin'
• Done
• Three Golden Trees
• September Fields
• Happy Song (Otis Redding Cover)
• Separate
• You Got Religion
• One More Cup of Coffee (Bob Dylan Cover)
• Ootischenia (Be Good Tanyas cover)
• Natural Law
• Weather Pattern
• Blue Streak Mama
• Indian Ocean