Review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Swn presents Benjamin Francis Leftwich + Ren Harvieu + Fossil Collective
The Globe
20th February 2012
With a queue long enough to make me say “argh this is a long queue”, the sold out affair that was Benjamin Francis Leftwich at Albany Road’s The Globe left me with similarly uninspired thoughts.
The York-born singer songwriter did have his merits and wasn’t all that bad. He just wasn’t all that good either.
But more on him in a bit. Due to said prolonged-out-of-venue wait, I did miss a chunk of Fossil Collective’s slot, but with their folky, Fleet Foxes-esque oohing and aahing I was soon tuned in. Creating a notably full sound for a three piece, the band used keys, tambourine, guitars and a melodica to produce melodies beautiful enough to get you nodding along but lively enough to stop you nodding off. I noted to my plus one that theirs is a ‘keeping warm by the fire side’ kind of music, which received an understanding nod, and added that they hadn’t quite got that ‘spark to light their own fire’, to which followed a bemused frown. Some people can only take so much metaphor I fear but I’m sure you get my point.
Next up was the BBC Sound of 2012 short-listed Ren Harvieu, whose outstanding voice finds the middle ground between jazz, country and rock with her song writing a throw back to the 60s. Signed to Island Records, the 22-year-old was quiet and almost unsure between songs but her voice effortlessly soared through her short set and seemed to surge through the venue. Accompanied on stage by her suited, ‘I’ve been to art school’ dressed band (the drummer could have easily been an architect) she came on stage with a crutch due to recently recovering from a broken back. The freak accident in a London park led to two months in hospital and she faced the possibility she might never walk again; the pain of the injury and her remarkable recovery is reflected in the fullness of her mature, controlled voice. Her cover of The Beatles’ Something gave space for her rich vocals to flourish but she failed to bring anything new to Harrison’s already over-covered classic. She only sang six songs and so it was difficult to form a full opinion, but there was a clear Dusty Springfield influence and think Katie Melua and Rumer as modern contemporaries. Harvieu could be the next darling of Radio 2 but she needs a stronger bed of songs if she is to progress.
It certainly is a good time to be a male singer songwriter. From the overrated nonsense that is Ed Sheeran to Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka, the popularity of the solo artist is high. However, the market has become saturated with blokes with guitars and I do wonder how they’ll fare long term.
Clad in an unnecessary bobble hat and one of those really thick checked shirts, on strolled Benjamin Francis Leftwich, to rapturous applause. The female half of the student-dominated crowd issued a few “I love you Ben"s, but to my heterosexual mind he just seemed hot in the over-heated sense of the word. Sure enough he soon took off the hat.
Going straight into Pictures, his hushed, raspy, windswept vocals mesmerised the room but by the time his band joined him onstage they were thoroughly annoying me. He seemed like a top bloke, with his thanks genuine and his patter between songs showing a glimpse of personality, but musically I wasn’t moved. As a matter-of-fact, I was stuck right at the front so that my eye level was at his crotch height, therefore I spent the remainder of the evening looking down at his Conversed feet.
His lyrics varied between thoughtful and twee but his songs, although moderately catchy, were a rather samey. He asked for complete hush for Maps and his chatty fans duly shut up as he stepped away from the microphone to sing unassisted. In the complete silence, his voice just sounded flimsy and this lovely but pretentious move failed to win me over.
Despite a surprisingly strong cover of Arcade Fire's Rebellion, his performance was as safe and predictable as the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack, which both his Atlas Hands and Box Of Stones have featured on. The crowd lapped it all up though and next time he tours he’ll be in a larger venue for sure.
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1 Comment – Postiwch sylw
Tom_Bevan
Rhoddwyd sylw 51 mis yn ôl - 23rd February 2012 - 23:13pm
Harsh but, I hope, fair. Sorry Mr Leftwich!