Sun 8 Dec
Glee Club, Cardiff
words: GARETH LUDKIN
If I’m perfectly honest, Sharon Van Etten had hardly pierced my radar before her recent performance in Cardiff Bay. And in truth, the supporting This Is The Kit was the real motivation for my attendance. Despite this lack of familiarity with the evening’s headliner, this rescheduled date had plenty to excite, and although a largely mellow affair to end to what has been an expansive European tour for the Brooklyn-based singer, Van Etten certainly impressed with complex, rousing harmonies and sweet lyrics throughout.
THIS IS THE KIT
Since first hearing Kate Stable’s roughly recorded demos in the mid 2000s, This Is The Kit’s folksy roots, distinctive vocals and charming song-writing talent, has had me bewitched. A weakness, yes, and one which will surely influence my ability to produce a truly objective review of her performance, but also one which I am happy to report has only been strengthened through a truly refined live performance which demonstrates a huge amount of progression from early demos, low-budget recordings and acoustic ramblings with co-collaborator Jesse D Vernon over the last decade or more.
From the striped back, banjo plucking of her early album Where It Lives – which collates much of her early demo material – to her layered second studio album Wriggle Out The Restless, This Is The Kit’s live sound has come on leaps and bounds since the simple arrangements I first fell for. Her live set now rings with warmth, honesty and an alert beauty as her harmonious band moulds around an obvious storytelling talent with the surprisingly excellent acoustics of the Glee Club. Soft drums meld with Jesse D Vernon’s seductive bass to mirror Kate’s vocals, and the sharp guitar riffs flow in and out to demonstrate that This Is The Kit are perfectly capable of moving beyond a folk canon. Kate’s vocals, banjo and guitar are all heartfelt and endearing, and it’s a joy to her such a confident band happily plying their trade whilst new songs stand tall to suggest even greater progression in the future.
SHARON VAN ETTEN
As the beautiful Sharon Van Etten finally takes to the stage, the audience bubbles with expectation as her polite demeanour reveals an artist completely at ease on stage alongside a band totally in tune with her. Atmospheric and filled with smokey vocals, Sharon’s distinct sound comfortably fills the Glee Club as she moves through tracks from her latest album, Tramp. As she launches into her set, her band helps to surround her reflective lyrics with textures of sound that build, rise, fall and expand – Sharon’s drummer providing the real eye-catching entertainment of the set; his playful exuberance and obvious talent proved a joy to watch as each limb moved limitlessly with the drums.
For me, the mellow self-reflection of tracks Give Out and Kevin’s failed to really bring the performance out of first gear. Despite their haunting quality each song fail to really capture any sense of urgency. It was only when Serpents and Leonard were performed that Sharon’s set carried the real punch of the performance. In all, the pairing between This Is The Kit, Georgia Ruth (who performed first) and Sharon was a happy marriage of sweet vocals, atmospheric scores and wistful lyrics perfect for a wintery Sunday evening.