‘All Yours’, the latest release from the Big Apple’s Widowspeak proved to be one of the discoveries of 2015, a delicious combination of eerie alt-country mixed with singer Molly Hamilton’s languid femme-fatale vocal. Considering the duo (lead guitarist Robert Earl Thomas is the other original member) are now four albums in with one of their early tracks gaining further exposure, appearing on American Horror Story, they’re still pretty unknown in the UK, their appearance in the games room at Brudenell testament to that with perhaps 50 or so people present here tonight.
Widowspeak take to the stage, Hamilton and Thomas joined by a two-man rhythm section and the first thing you notice as they get underway with ‘Perennials’ is that there is a lot of check on show. The new album material soon follows, ‘All Yours’ followed by ‘Narrows’, Molly periodically smiling enigmatically to herself….penny for them.
‘Swamps’ provides one of the evening’s highlights, both guitarists duelling to a thrilling climax, the reverie only broken by a malfunctioning microphone right at the end. Fortunately the technical hitch is fixed in a flash as ‘Harsh Realm’ and the terrific ‘Girls’ bring the set to an end with a flourish although it’s tinged with a little disappointment as we don’t get to hear ‘My Baby’s Gonna Carry On’, my personal favourite track from ‘All Yours’….oh well.
Widowspeak bandcamp
Brudenell official