Rachel Anderson is a Dundee songsmith, writer, guitarist and all-round folk hero whose songs and singing I've enjoyed for a number of years, with gigs of late proving rarer than sightings of extinct species. BUt the trio that now seems permamant, with Rachel on acoustic guitar and vocals, Ross on electric bass and Colin sitting atop this wooden box thing that he plays with his hands, has become a thing, not only of great joy, but something that's ready to shake the folk world to its very foundations, and that doesn't happen often in a lifetime.
They begin the set with an instrumental, well worthy of the late John Fahey at his finest, with a beautifully melodic top, a repeating undercurrent and a feel that's very reflective, very "winter" as a wonderful sequence of ascending and descending acoustic guitar chords unfolds with huge amounts of feeling and passion, but so gorgeous. The first song, "You Don't Know Me", opens with a choppy guitar intro into chunky bass with ripples of guitar melody running on top as the drum thing resonates like a mix of bongos and drums, propelling it all forward. A very "jazzy" vocal tumbles along into a chorus that mixes stop-start song, spoken word asides and wordless improv to incredibly bizarre and addictive degree, before returning to the verses as the swong weaves its way into choppy watersa and plays out its scenarios once again. Very jazzy once again and het flowing to perfection, it features scat vocal where you think a verse should be, rises to a peak, then stops, then starts, then flies - it's one insane idea of a track but it's like nothing else you've ever heard, and it works a treat. On track three, the acoustic trio chugs along with the sound of jazzy drum box, thudding bass and choppy acoustic guitar, conveying the whole sonic spectrum as Rachel's light, airy and soasring vocal is delivered with added force, so rare for such a high register voice to sound so powerful, while the way her guitar playing invokes melody, rhythm and propulsion all at the same time, is nothing short of spellbinding. After this, a faster chugger of a track - a love song with drive - features excellent use of the choppy, chunky guitar work, while this time the bass goes altogether deeper and less thunderous while the crips, jazzy hand drum work gives the depth and the sharper edge. "Mr Important" is such a fantastic track. A fast, bluesy chugger with a delightful guitar hook and some really propulsive guitar work as a fast flowing vocal combines with the strong rhythmic undercurrent. Up next is "Cake", a stalwart of Rachel's set for almost as long as she's been playing and a track that is always changing shape, yet one that never fails to amuse and amaze, this time the band providing an urgent and impassioned version that has the audience riveted. The final track is a really fast-paced offering with sturdy bass, rollercoaster chording and driving rhythm. With Rachel's between-song interludes a thing of joy - she is such a fruit cake at times - but behind the "away with the fairies" facade lurks a strong brain and a sense of purpose, fun and determination. Overall, the most refreshing thing to happen to electro-acoustic, folk-based, singer-songwriting in years.
KIng Thing gave us a 10 track set that left no doubt that they are in a musical world entirely of their own - you just can't compare these guys with anyone else around. A trio they deliver 3-4 minute songs with intelligent lyrics and deceptively complex arrangements, influences covering all manner of things, sometimes even within the same song! The opener features the unique combination of a lead vocal that's quite relaxed yet powerful over a driving rhythm with throbbing bass, as the verses ascend and descend with flowing regularity. Next up is a track with a wonderful psychedelic, almost phaxed, guitar intro before the rhythm kicks in and another strong vocal emerges. The song accelerates ast the guitar powers up, faster then slower then faster, all the time quite hypnotic ywt without a discernible hook or chorus in sight - unusual but works well. Track three is choppy with staccato choruses as deep pounding bass really cuts through, punchy drums under the impassioned vocal, all toped bya torrent of fluid rhythm guitar. The next track has a very early-mid '60's Beatles flavour to it that then goes into a kind of strident indie-country rock with galloping rhythms, jangly guitar, thunderous bass and languid, stretched out soaring vocals.Fifht track starts as a ballad, shuffles into undulating bass and crispy, crunchy drums, a twangy guitar lead underpinning it all. An emotive vocal delivers the strong song which builds and accelerates and really takes off as the drums power up and motor in an almsot Krautrock style. The huge bass really propels the bottom end giving the piece a real burning depth, while above it all, the guitar drives forward on waves of jangly leads and twisting melodies, the vocal ever more intense and emotional.
Sixth track is a faster number with a real sense of edge in the vocal as the band unite on a rolling sea of rhythm, the expansive, molten sound of indie songwriting moving headlong to ther midpoint where it drops to vocal and drums before picking up pace, and belting towards a fast and furious finale, the vocals lifting the roof off. Seventh in, and a funkier number with upfront bass, lower vocal, crunchy, solid drums, all building to a cresecendo before droping back down. The huge sounding funky bass is a joy, as the band's take on an almost "dark side of the funk" aproach, allied to a driving indie guitar undercurrent, produces a seriously amazing track, the vocal climbing higher, only for the song to end abruptly - far too short!!
"Too Fat" is given a seriously faster makeover with an urgent vocal, solid, driving bass, lurching drums asa then all the band thunder forward on an avalanche of rhythm guitar and guitar undercurrents, the vocal really urgent, hollered and emotional, really taking the track into a whole new dimension, but, again, far too short. For "Trophy Wives", a longstanding stage and studio favourite, you get the feel that the verses are now more solid and altogether stronger as the verses take off, largely thanks to a vast sounding bass, solid rumming and textural lead guitar work, all under the impassioned flow of the vocal. The final track opens with a choppy intro, very remeinsicent of Can or Dundee's Hennisi. That said, it's still a very intense, mid-paced song, as dramatic drums, solid bass, distant rhythm guitar and gradually emotive vocal, all come to life. A very intense song in a mid-paced manner, opening out to fill every space as the band lift off amid towering bass, crunchy drums and twangy guitar undercurrents,