Tonight in one of Edinburgh’s smallest but coolest venues, the end of the working week plays host to two fantastic acts who in earlier incarnations helped spark the beginning of indie-pop and have kept it alive ever since.
Tonight’s support act are Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey performing as Catenary Wires, one of the many names they’ve recorded together as over nearly forty years (other acts have included Talulah Gosh – definitely only one ‘l’!, Heavenly and Swansea Sound). Tonight we get a fantastic 45 minute set that goes back over twenty years, and includes songs from their most recent LP Birling Gap. Sharing vocals between them, Rob’s on acoustic guitar duties with Amelia also accompanying them on harmonium. If you think a stripped-down acoustic set means you’re not getting the full deal, think again. What we get here are a dozen songs which show just how brilliant this pair are at writing songs, particularly of the indie-pop variety. It’s only those of us in Edinburgh and Glasgow who get them as support on this tour but we are privileged indeed. Opening with ‘Was That Love?’ and ‘Like The Rain‘ their songs of situations and stories – whether about philandering Tory MPs or friends who drive mobile bookshops (yes, bookshops) – are unique and warm, and so very easy to fall in love with. Don’t put it off, do it today.
The Gentle Spring have made my favourite album of the year so far in Looking Back At the World and their live set tonight does not disappoint. It’s a beautifully crafted record of ten songs which show the writing skills of both former Field Mice member Michael Hiscock and keyboard and vocalist Emilie Guillaumot, along with guitarist Jérémie Orsel. The set opens with ‘Sugartown‘. Michael says that he was influenced by a TV interview with George Jones saying country music was three chords and the truth and setting out to write a song that was just two. It’s a venue space close enough to see the whites of their eyes, and indeed their fingers, so I can confirm they are A and D in this case.
It should never be assumed that the sweetness of indiepop does not contain more of a punch. Michael tells us that ‘Untouched‘ was about the meeting with a “friend” (quotation marks mine) who told him that he wasn’t going anywhere with his life, rather than just being able to accept that they were on different paths. If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation you’ll know just how frustrating the situation is, and I feel Michael’s written a song that speaks to many of us. Mind you, the whole album is a brilliant emotional connection…
Yet there’s other songs that reflect his life, including ‘Ashes‘ which it seems fairly safe to assume that Emelie wrote about Michael being homesick in their adopted home of France, and listening to the cricket on the radio. It’s certainly not for me to tell them how to run their band but I hope that future albums (oh, let there be! PLEASE!!) will continue to contain lots of Emelie contributions, too. As they finish with the title track, it’s been a fantastic gig showing just how great this trio is (Jérémie is very quiet but his contributions should not be underestimated).
A great night out that restored my faith in live music, and fills me with the urge to evangelise just how great they are to anyone who’ll listen.
