“This” according to the Black Feathers “is a posh gig”. The Black Feathers are supporting the utterly divine Maz O’connor at the Downend Folk Club and they are not wrong in the slightest.Christ Church, once again, rings to the sound of folk music and a damn fine job it makes of it. The Black Feathers are up to the task too. Delightfully acoustic, beautifully country, a tiny bit folk. Just lovely.
“Just lovely” would be a perfect way to describe tonight’s headline act. Maz O’Connor is everything a modern folk singer should be. She has a foot in the the trad but enough modern suss to make Radio 2 take notice. And she has a voice. Oh man, does she have a voice. On the opening tune “???” she soars, scrapes the arched ceiling and sends tiny sparks of stardust sailing out into the night air. The irony is not lost as she sings “Lord knows I’m not the praying kind.” In a church, of all places.
The highlight of her recent debut album, “The Grey Selkie”, is delivered later. All longing and understated beauty. Earlier on she warns us; “I hope you like sad songs”. Yeah, they’re sad . But they’re gorgeous sad. Velvet sad. The album is called “This Willowed Light”, it’s produced by folk super hero Jim Moray, and needs to be in your itunes playlist. Or wherever you keep your music.
Considering she’s barely out of her teens Maz O’Connor is incredibly assured. Old songs sit next to new ones. Historical references and folk tales are embroidered with fluid guitar parts. Maybe all of those BBC Folk award nominations do that to a girl. She is witty and wry, dry and amused. All the while singing songs that swim around us, luring us onto rocks. She even has another stab at gently baiting the religious. Her ‘alternative creation myth’, “Mississippi Woman”, is lyrical and warm. A feminist message whispered on the breeze.
It’s at times like this that you wonder two things. First, how do these songs not find a place in every radio station and living room on the land; “Night Cap”, for example, is a proper pop tune. Second you have to wonder how this little folk club in Downend keeps booking priceless gems.
It might be a “posh” gig but it’s hard to imagine that there’s a better night to be had in this part of the world tonight. Or any other night. Lucy Ward is up next and she’s nothing short of brilliant. But not posh.
Gavin McNamara
TallFolk 