Teddy Thompson at the Colston Hall - Music Review
Posted on: 2016-05-20
Our rating:
A real highlight of the set was a perfectly executed version of Never Knew You Loved Me Too, which was a chance for Thompson to take the lead as well as treat us to some of his trademark descending guitar runs.
A taste of good ol’ American Country came to town on 17th May 2016, as exceptional British folk musician Teddy Thompson was joined by LA based countrified singer songwriter Kelly Jones, to promote their first collaborative album Little Windows, at The Lantern at Bristol’s Colston Hall.
This impressive pairing proved to be an entertaining and dynamic mix, as they powered their way through some beautifully arranged and crafted ballads with a 50s or 60s vibe, each designed to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and take us back to a far more innocent time.
Sometimes singing together with a glorious, all-encompassing harmony and their trusty acoustic guitars, occasionally solo and more often than not backed by a formidably talented 4 piece band, they gave an astounding yet understated performance.
Starting with solo renditions of a few of his own songs (this guy has a string of fantastic, yet commercially neglected solo albums to his name), Thompson brought a warmth and humour to the venue as he interacted with the crowd and quickly drew the audience in to his world.
Sound versions of Tonight Will Be Fine and I Wish It Was Over led to Jones and her powerful voice joining him on stage and beginning the foray into their new album with the soul influenced Better At Lying, the slightly more pop inspired You can’t Call Me Baby and the sublime soft country tones of You Took My Future all being beautifully played.
Real highlights of the set were a perfectly executed version of Never Knew You Loved Me Too, that was a chance for Thompson to take the lead as well as treat us to some of his trademark descending guitar runs, and the final song I Thought That We Said Goodbye which, with its poignant lyrics and sense of heartbreak surely hit home for many of the audience, myself included.
This is an album Rolling Stone have said contains “sparkling pop gems and sobering country ballads” and this sums this duo up beautifully. Simple, timeless songs soulfully delivered by two brilliantly talented performers who are clearly having a great time sharing their passion with their listeners.
Support on the night came from Sunny Ozell, who wowed the audience with her mighty vocals and charming tracks taken from her debut album Take It with Me. Beautiful songs including Family Tree and Move along Train had the crowd enthralled and cover versions of tracks including Come Back Baby and Louisiana had them clapping and singing along. Ending her set in duet with Thompson on I Can’t Help It, again taken from her album, this was a precise and sophisticated performance.
This was a fantastically entertaining evening as all artists delivered incredible performances with vigour and soul and left the foot-tapping, hand-clapping audience thirsty for more.
5/5
Reviewed by Sarah-Jane Howard for 365Bristol.com - The Bristol Website
Article by:
Sarah-Jane is an aficionado of film, theatre, culture and the arts. A voracious reader and avid crafter, she can be found volunteering her face painting talents at Bristol Zoo when she's not cementing her reputation as Coalpit Heath’s cake maker extraordinaire. Known to have an opinion on everything she’s never happier than when sharing these with the good folk of Bristol!
