ELAINE PALMER sings of the pain, confusion, obsession and occasional ecstasies of 21st century lovin’. Highlights include "Sometimes" – an ode to a lover who blows hot and cold, and album title track "Into the Spotlight" on which she sounds like Hazel O’Connor (in a good way). Her lyrical concerns are aptly summed up in "Lovers and Lies": "Lovers and lies, it’s the story of your life".
Elaine Palmer’s accent was hard to pin down, so much so that an audience member felt the need to ask where she was from. The reply of Yorkshire was met with as little enthusiasm as she seemed to expect. Still, the fact that she’s signed to Clint Boon’s ‘Booney Tunes’ provided some Manc counterbalance.
Part way into her set, POLLY PAULUSMA shamelessly exhibited her local knowledge by asking for advice regarding the best places to eat on Rusholme’s ‘Curry Mile’. A heated debate ensued, during which she attempted to broker compromise by promising to visit several, on a course by course basis. This is my kind of woman.
Unfortunately, audience participation proved to be somewhat of a distraction throughout the set. When I say ‘audience’ I mean one scarily-obsessed and increasingly tiresome fan/stalker, who seemed to view the concert as a one-on-one conversation between herself and Polly. All credit to the performer though, for consistently humouring this crazed individual, while delicately side-stepping repeated inquiries regarding her marital status.
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But what of the music? Polly’s songs are for the most part accompanied by double bass, drums, and her own acoustic guitar, with the odd solo piano number thrown in for good measure. Personally, I enjoyed the trio stuff more, mainly because it reminded me of Tim Hardin and ‘Astral Weeks’-era Van Morrison. It is the grain of her voice, however, that really sticks in the memory – delicate, haunting and heartfelt. The songs are good too, particularly the impossibly lovely Dear John of ‘Mea Culpa’.
In a time when the likes of Winehouse, Meluah and Jones stalk the land, Polly Paulusma wins plaudits for embracing woody folk rather than dinner jazz. All power to her elbow.
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