Cate Le Bon
Portland House, Cardiff Bay
Thu 29 Aug
Twelve years after emerging from the hitherto untapped pop wilderness of Penboyr in Carmarthenshire, Cate Le Bon is now international alt-rock royalty. At the time of writing, she is supporting Kurt Vile and Dinosaur Jr in the USA, her CV includes production credits for the likes of Deerhunter, Perfume Genius has appeared on her records and when she’s not releasing or promoting any of her increasingly thrilling albums, she’s either appearing with John Cale and the London Contemporary Orchestra or learning how to make furniture.
Her latest album, Reward, is aptly titled. A more piano-based outing than previous albums, it finds her adding more ambitious layers of sound to her already unconventional take on psychedelia. Not the easiest of listens at first, Reward is melancholic and unnerving, yet somehow still playful, a Hounds Of Love for our troubled times and a mesmerising trip through the mind of one of our most inventive artists.
In a world where Chasing Cars is the most played record on 21st century radio, it’s never been more important to cherish someone breaking rules with such wild originality. Grab a seat, she might well have made it.
Tickets: £17.50. Info: 029 2048 7602 / www.portlandhousecardiff.com (PJ)