The Lauren South Trio live
Review
My emotional palette is always refreshed by a Lauren South concert but when she manages to put together a larger band, such as the one with whom she cut her debut album ‘Tiny Boat', it's an extra special treat not to be missed.
Thus, when she managed to find time in the packed schedules of both Ben Haines & John Parker to join her & her Donnelly & South comrade Keith Donnelly at Warwick Arts Centre today for a lunchtime concert, I was delighted to be able to join them. Since the event was billed as the Lauren South Trio, I can only call them probably the country's finest four piece trio. I stand by that.
With a set centred on that album with a few newer compositions (though like me you have probably experienced those already too), the performance suggested something that when I put it to Lauren afterwards, she certainly didn't disagree with. That proposition was that even despite the virtuoso talents of this band, the more they've played together, the songs have reached even higher planes.
One strong example would be "The Blue" (one of the post-album creations): I've heard it several times but never as rhapsodic as they performed it on this occasion (and since they played it at soundcheck, I got to hear it twice). It really is a sublime song & I did say to her that it would make a fine single: it is also one of Lauren's rare love songs which would have a broad appeal, even if, like most of her compositions, its roots lie in personal experiences and reflections: in this case the problem of distinguishing sea from sky.
Where the band really elevate the material is not just through greater experience playing it together but how they add deft touches throughout: not improvisation in the usual sense but little moments of inspiration: a bass figure here, a guitar harmonic from Keith or Ben going for one of his staggeringly immense repertoire of percussion tools & techniques.
And for a trio cum quartet, you do get a lot of instrumental combinations: while John sticks to his bass (and he has so many techniques to deploy via bow & fingers) & Ben his arsenal of options (though his core set up is actually very simple: it's the detail which makes the difference), Keith uses six, twelve & four string guitars at various points, Lauren sings solo, or with a guitar, or with a shruti box or else plays violin: with & without using the shruti box via a pedal. And none of this is a gimmick: all the combinations serve the songs.
The other thing I noted was the richness of the sound: not an adjective I've used about their music so far: which might be my previous failing, but since it occurred to me today, I think it's a development: certainly Lauren feels that the band feed off each other & that's her perspective on any changes I felt have occurred. Song tempi are now not precisely the same as recorded. That's one development. I also think that Lauren is bringing the lower end of her vocal range more into play to great effect. The other aspect I can only try and describe as an orchestral one: the songs are still generally "folk" in origin but given not only the violin, bass & drone but how the instruments are played is taking into more into what is usually described as the classical world. John's bowing towards the end of "The Blue" (for example) is like a ‘cello. Most of Ben's percussion is closer to orchestral than rock/pop/folk and a lot of Keith's guitar playing is less traditional accompaniment & more suggestive of fills and motifs from a wider range of instruments: not just what strings might play but woodwind too.
To cut to the chase, I entered the venue in one state of mind but left it in a higher one. Music can (and should) do this but these musicians are especially adept at the transformation.
I wish I could tell you when the next conjunction of the four members of the trio will be but I'm afraid I can't.
I can however steer you towards the Springboard Festival at the Criterion Theatre in Earlsdon where Lauren is playing on Saturday 10th May and Saturday 17th though tickets I believe are only available still for the latter (link via https://criteriontheatre.co.uk/tickets)
