What must it be like to come from a place that is so very, very NOT you? What would it be like to come from, let’s say, Birmingham when you yearn for the sea and the sand? To have a soul that longs to explore but lives in a boring midlands town? To sing songs that need a vista but are trapped by tower blocks? Ask Birmingham based Chris Cleverley; a folk singer with Pop Idol looks and an ear for a laid-back, wave flecked tune but one who is land locked. He might describe Birmingham as a “land of rainbows and unicorns” but we don’t believe him.
Over the course of yet another fantastic night at the Folk Club he tries to shake off his urban life and take us down to the sea.
Starting with the traditional, and sailor packed, “The Jolly Bold Robber” is a good way to begin. A cappella and as folky as a knitted sweater and a big beard, Cleverley has a light touch and a sure sense with the song. Singing your first song unaccompanied is something of statement of intent and he immediately has the audience holding its breath. As it ends there’s a mutter of “beautiful” from a female voice. All of this and he hasn’t even touched his guitar.
Ah. The guitar. Chris Cleverley is, undoubtedly, a guitarist. In the same way that Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Martin Simpson are guitarists. That is to say that he’s fantastic. Silvery streams cascade out of his instrument. Metallic punctuation marks startle audience members and spidery traces wander about all over delicious folk-pop tunes.
The evening is held together with a real pop sensibility. In “Missing Persons” and “The Dawn Before the Day” Cleverley has written two proper, bona fide pop songs. Hummable choruses, catchy melodies, the whole works. The later song is the new single from the forthcoming “Apparitions” album. It’s beautiful, about the end of a relationship; the closing of a day. This is more sunset than the darkest hour though. In fact the feeling of a sunset is ever present this evening. You know those days at the end of the holiday? When the sea stretches in front of you and the sand is still warm on your toes? Chris Cleverley makes music that makes you feel like that.
For all of his guitar virtuosity and ability with a top tune the highlights happened when he moved away from folk and towards something more American. On “Stables” he attempts an homage to 50s, hand-clapping, slip sliding soul and pulls it off with aplomb. With “I’m Not Long For This World” he breaks out the banjo for a bit of 30s style, literary melancholia. With every song Chris Cleverley leaves behind the tower blocks and takes us somewhere altogether better.
In support was Noey McElwee – a different singer entirely. She sang seventies inspired, Fingerbobs Folk stirring up memories of Ralph McTell and Don Mclean. Earnest, wordy and heartfelt.
Gavin McNamara
TallFolk 