It seems that half the student population of Cardiff have turned out for Loyle Carner’s sold-out Saturday night live show. The predominantly teenage audience are enraptured, echoing his every word, each song met with a cheer or a delighted murmur of recognition. They lap up every sharp-edged observation of contemporary culture. Expressions like “voice of a generation” easily came to mind. Just don’t call him relevant – he prefers ‘revolutionary’.
The live setlist showcases Loyle Carner’s latest album Hugo, released in late 2022. He explains that Hugo is named after his dad’s car, which he learned to drive during lockdown and where he and his father found a kind of resolution to their complex relationship. This bond has particular significance for the headliner now that he is a father, and clearly a very proud one too. We know all this because he brings a refreshing vulnerability and honesty to his performance.
Carner is not afraid to tackle politics through his music, lyrics, and demeanour, but despite this, the atmosphere is friendly and joyful. He mixes the political with the deeply personal, and his sentiments feel genuine without appearing staged. It says a lot for a gig featuring moments of spoken word and ending with a poem, recited to a quietly engrossed crowd.
There’s an epic quality to the new album, even more so when played live. They feel like songs you’d known for years. And alongside older tracks from his two previous albums, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this as a greatest hits tour, so well-loved by fans is every song. Loyle’s verses flow effortlessly, mixed in with the honeyed vocals of collaborators such as Tom Misch, Sampha, Jordan Rakei and Jorja Smith, and his vocals have a gentleness and a precision that sets him apart.
Saving the best until last, 2019’s Ottolenghi has a nostalgic vibe— a throwback to pre-COVID times. The admiration appeared to be reciprocated, Carner hailing this as one of the best nights of his live tour.
Loyle Carner, Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sat 11 Mar
words ROSANNA LEWIS photos OWIN WONG
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