Lazy chillout music- In winter!
Electric acoustics, bare feet and banjos. Perhaps you're thinking that Cruachan finally decided to give this writer another chance. You'd be wrong (and not just because Cruachan are stubborn Irish drunkards!) because this isn't folk metal. This is good old fashioned folk rock with its roots firmly planted in tradition and its eyes on the kind of audience it knows it can gain. Sarah Jane doesn't try anything wild or outrageous beyond performing barefoot and her music doesn't require a vastly open mind to appreciate. Tranquil and softly spoken, it brings back memories of lazy summer Sundays; a haze of inoffensive, silky guitars and purring basslines. Nothing special, yet something deliciously beautiful to listen to. There's the blissful innocence of 'Space Machine'- delicate and rambling with enough of a kick to raise a cheer even from far up the back despite no one in the Shepherd's Bush Hall looking under 18 tonight. Drinks in hand, the crowd tempt one beautiful song after another from these well spoken, nervous musicians playing behind Sarah Jane.
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It's 'All Of Me' which stands out in this set made up of glowing hippie songs. Twisting and turning, it compliments the crumbling décor and its soulful flow induces large amounts of passion from the band. Sarah Jane won't leave you awestruck, but her beautiful voice contains charm. As her and the band departs from the stage and re-emerge later on near the bar, all that can be heard is a flurry of compliments.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 8 available.