Walking into Manchester’s fantastic Night & Day Cafe, I was met with a packed out room that was bustling with excitement and anticipation.
The Australian folk outfit Boy & Bear appear to have massed quite a large and enthused following since they were first seen supporting Laura Marling several months back. A bottle of finest Newcastle Brown in hand, and my colleague for the night Jonny Hudspith perched up to the bar with me, Andrew Davie took to the stage.
Andrew Davie:
The ex-lead man from Cherbourg, Andrew Davie certainly fitted the folky theme of tonight’s proceedings, but perhaps his solo nature would be lost amongst the swathes of Boy & Bear fans? Answer: absolutely not. Quiet yet powerful, Andrew Davie produced a set that grabbed the attention of many in the audience. His tracks are very personal, regularly referencing himself and other figures or characters, providing a window of intimacy that instantly absorbs your attention. It is Davie‘s lyrics that separate him from the countless others who consider themselves ‘singer/songwriters’, as within his tracks the lyrics portray a sense of painful questioning that is soothed by an endearing resilience while remaining personal enough to become accessible for an audience to appreciate. However credit must also be attributed to Davie‘s vocals, which have tinges of Conor Oberst and Bon Iver in them, as while much of his tracks’ content express pain and hurt, Davie‘s vocals portray a feeling of innocent naivety that softens yet empowers each track. Particular highlights in his set were ‘Elysium‘ and ‘Dangerous Thoughts‘, and while Davie is yet to officially release any of his solo material, I recommend you check out this fantastic artist post haste.
8/10
Lupen Crook:
Moving away from the quiet atmosphere of Andrew Davie, Lupen Crook & co took to the stage with a clear exuberance. Reported by many as producing a ‘twisted take on folk music’, Lupen Crook produced a set that was lively and entertaining. Lupen‘s vocals are not too dissimilar to a slightly calmer Frank Turner, however they contain the same spirit and energy that Turner manages to encapsulate in his tracks. This mixed with erratic clangs of percussion and jangly guitars, Lupen Crook certainly provided the audience with a sharp contrast to the music that was to act as the night’s finale. However Lupen only received a mild reception from an audience that appeared to initially be interested and excited about his twisted folk, but then quite readily descended back into their own batches of small talk. A good performance that sadly still leaves the question unanswered as to why Lupen Crook hasn’t made more of a name for himself.
7/10
Boy & Bear:
With an immediate charisma and charm, Boy & Bear produced a flawless and engaging set that left no fan wanting. Sparked by their earlier appearance supporting Laura Marling, people quite oddly compared the band to Mumford & Sons. Now while the band do play folk inspired music, and are known to wear their fair share of tweed, it is here that the comparison to Mumford & co should end. While the band do centre around a central figure of Dave Hosking, I would be more tempted to compare the band’s sound to that of Local Natives. The music is of course far more acoustic than that of Local Natives, Boy & Bear include that same dreamy yet empowered sound that floods the music of Local Natives. Choral vocals layered throughout music which is buoyed by reverb-y guitars and centralised percussion is a common feature between the two bands and, as a result, gives Boy & Bear the charm of a folk band whilst creating the musical integrity of further reaching genres. However regardless of the debate of musical comparisons, Boy & Bear have managed to create a refreshing sound that is catchy enough to dance to and interesting enough to hold your attention. The band have recently released their EP ‘With Emperor Antarctica‘, which I highly recommend you purchase as soon as you can, with ‘Rabbit Song‘ and ‘Mexican Mavis‘ being particular highlights.
9/10