COCOS LOVERS | LIVE REVIEW
Dempseys, Cardiff, Fri 8 Nov
An evening that ended in the type of delirium that can only be created by an indie-folk septet with an encyclopaedic attitude to world music, began with the impassioned stylings of Joe Robert Lewis. Armed only with an acoustic guitar and a vocal range taking in everything from a rasp to a falsetto, Lewis cuts an eager figure onstage, rattling through his songbook with a conviction and a foot-stomping fervour. Cut from the same cloth is Ivan Moult, an Orson Welles-alike and a similarly committed troubadour. He starts quietly but quickly picks up a head of steam, especially when his sound is augmented with a rhythm section.
The eclectic and eccentric Cocos Lovers have been turning heads with their most recent release Gold Or Dust, building on the interest created by Elephant Lands (2011) and Johannes (2009); which coincidentally was also the name of a South African gentleman who starred in treating more than one lady to a (relatively) slow dance as the set progressed.
Splashed in multi-colours across the music are a myriad of influences from the more maudlin tones of English and Celtic folk, to pulsing tribal African and Latin rhythms, country influences from across the pond, and further afield and back again.
The wide world of instruments are too traversed, as the band make use of everything from the mandolin and banjo, to a simple hand-held shaker via a saw which, when played with a bow, recalls the theremin sound that has enabled so many good vibrations throughout the years. With no band member slacking when it comes to contributing musically, it’s no surprise that not one voice is wasted either, as the group engage in complex vocal harmonies that are simply enchanting, and which beautifully underpin the fantastic arrangements.
In successfully combining worldly musicianship with a danceable groove, Cocos Lovers have a winning formula which sets them apart from so many of the current glut of folk-inspired musicians currently doing their earnest thing. Even if folk isn’t really your thing, the quality of the songwriting and performance are such that when they are next back in Cardiff you really should be too.
words NICK MERRIMAN