The Folk Implosion, by way of introduction, is a musical craft co-piloted by Lou Barlow and John Davis. Taking off from a runway in Massachusetts in 1993 the collaboration between the two men initially remained airborne for some seven years, a fruitful period that spawned three albums, a double-handful of singles and EPs, and a major contribution to the soundtrack of the 1995 American drama film Kids. Their song ‘Natural One’ – from that movie – became a hit single, reaching no. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 4 on the Modern Rock Charts.
The original incarnation of The Folk Implosion was grounded in 2000 when John Davis disembarked. But three years ago, he and Lou Barlow – yes, him of Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh fame – reunited and began to record some new material. Released earlier this year, Walk Thru Me is their first album in 21 years. And now they are back in this country together for the first time in almost quarter of a century.
Welcoming the return of The Folk Implosion to Leeds is a very busy Lending Room, the upstairs music venue in The Library public house, an imposing Victorian building situated on the edge of the city’s Hyde Park that has seen past service as a combined Police and Fire station and, of course, a public library.
This the second night of the tour and just like Lou Barlow’s mismatched socks (the left one is yellow, whilst the right is red), there is an occasional lack of coordination. There are a couple of false starts; some fluctuating volume levels; and an “excruciatingly low hi-hat,” all of which add to the incredibly relaxed charm and organic beauty of the occasion. At one point Barlow describes the city of Leeds as “being the Ground Zero for DIY and lo-fi music,” citing the erstwhile post-punk band Delta 5 as being a prime example of that movement. With a strong emphasis upon the word loose, The Folk Implosion fully subscribe to that ethos.
Opening with ‘Better Than Allrite’ from their 1994 debut album Take a Look Inside the choice of song is wonderfully prescient. Well, almost, because what unfolds over the next 75 minutes is so much better than just alright. It is absolutely great. For all of its ramshackle moments, the performance exudes a natural magnetism that just pulls you in, a veritable amalgam of atmospheric lo-fi pop, indie rock, and experimentalism.
The pair shift between the past and present as easily as they do between instruments. Lou Barlow starts behind the drum kit – “it’s fun to pretend to be a drummer,” he says when emerging from behind the traps after three songs – before strapping on his more customary bass guitar. By then The Folk Implosion have rattled through a clutch of earlier tunes including a cracking ‘Checking In’ from their second album Dare to Be Surprised.
The title track from ‘Walk Thru Me’ is the first of five songs to appear from the new album, with the vaguely sinister ‘Crepuscular’ finally closing out proceedings an hour or so later. Old or new, they all sound great, belying the facts that The Folk Implosion had been lying dormant for so long and then for Walk Thru Me Barlow and Davis had cause to collaborate remotely given they were living 700 miles apart in Massachusetts and North Carolina respectively. There is undoubtedly a strong creative telepathy that exists between the two men.
Despite having already decamped to the merch table immediately after ‘Crepuscular,’ Lou Barlow and John Davis are soon encouraged to return to the stage. They seem more than happy to do just that – genuinely surprised at the warmth of the audience reaction – and swiftly repay the compliment with a stirring blast of ‘Free to Go’ from their third studio album, One Part Lullaby. It ends what has been a suitably magical evening.
Photos: Simon Godley
More photos of The Folk Implosion at The Library, Leeds
