The Guinness Jazz Festival weekend in Cork is at best a mixed blessing in this reviewer's eyes. Sure, the venues are open later and it lends the city a carnival atmosphere (The Lobby is getting in the swing by substituting Django Rheinhardt instead of the regular Dexys Midnight Runners over the PA), but the increased selection of events has a tendency to scatter potential attendees around watering holes off the beaten track.
On paper, this situation doesn't bode well for Leeds' JUXTAPOSITION, whose angular and excellent post-rock sounds are not exactly likely to win over the black stuff-supping, Honor Heffernan-following massive.
However, after a baptism of fire at Dublin's trad-oriented Cobblestone bar the previous evening (the quartet's Irish debut) and a nerve-bolstering lunchtime performance at Cork's UCC, Juxtaposition are in the mood for another challenge.
And indeed they rise to it beautifully. Theirs is a rich, multi-textured sound, with bassist Jonie Saunders and inventive drummer Lee Mallinson keeping the rhythms lithe and supple; frontman Will Saunders chopping and changing from his array of Telecasters and second guitarist James Mallinson
immediately getting my vote for sporting a duffel coat onstage and making the most judicious use of a Heineken bottle as a guitar effect since The Pixies' Joey Santiago hung up his strap.
Will later tells me that the band kept it relatively mellow tonight, but regardless this is fearsomely good. The sinewy "Take A Holiday" (from the forthcoming EP) stands out, but "The Organist" - where Jonie swaps his bass for (yup!) organ - meanders gracefully and the set-closing "Hornets & Pigeons" rides out the ebbs and guitar squalls in a tantalising fashion not entirely dissimilar to a souped-up Galaxie 500. The crowd receive them warmly and this writer is already keeping them close to his heart.
|
One short hiatus later, and NIALL CONNOLLY strides onstage with THE TOKEN MELLOW BAND close behind. With their much-vaunted "Songs From A Corner" still doing the rounds and a hectic European tour just under their belts, tonight's (two set) show is something of a triumphant homecoming.
They deliver an enjoyable, well-paced set, too. Clearly the regular gigging has honed the performance (Niall tells us this is their 13th show this month alone) and certainly songs like the deceptively pretty "The Circus Clown" and the inchoate rage of "You Know Best" from the debut still hit home.
Importantly, though, the emphasis tonight is on new material - and at least to this writer's battered ears - the freshly-minted tunes represent a major leap forward, with upbeat catchy songs like "Is It Too Late Now?" and "I Will Come To See You Soon" punchier and more unashamedly POP than anything off "Songs From A Corner". Indeed, while there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the likes of "Echo Bridge" or "I Will Make A King Out of You", they now sound eclipsed by the sombre edge of "The Kindness Of A Stranger" and the excellent "Oil On Water."
Generously, they take full advantage of the extended hours to plough into a full second set. Commitments force your reviewer to leave early, but by then both bands have already earned a definite seal of approval. One thing, though, Niall: drop the jelly baby joke, eh? It doesn't bear repeating.
|
