As someone who is notoriously impatient when listening to new music, I found the provisions of the intimate basement at an unassuming Tollcross bar incredible. Safe to say I felt at home, at Home (haha). Tuesday’s lineup united four acts in remarkable musicianship and poignant lyricism, featuring Killing Jill’s tenderly melancholic sound, Daisy Casemore’s alluring stage presence, Gordon McGruer Trio’s twangy vocals, and DJ Tom Kitson closing the night.
Killing Jill didn’t seem to allow the technical mishaps of their first gig hinder their eruptive talent. With a setlist full of pleading vocals, their soulful ballads captivated the crowd entirely. Their blend of softly sung lyrics that could send tears cascading, and robust guitar chords, whilst not unique, is balanced extremely well. ‘Mezzanine’, an original of theirs, was well-received by keen audience members, and the unguarded sincerity and innocent charm embedded in their lyrics appears to draw inspiration from indie pop artists such as Cavetown. Between their originals, covers including a soft rock interpretation of The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Today’ proved to be satisfying crowd-pleasers.
Daisy Casemore’s sudden appearance immediately captivated listeners. Though she mentioned nerves, undetected by the audience, her unwavering voice persisted. Her set included a World War II-era autoharp, and a double bass, which evoked the eclectic style of Black Country, New Road. Though perched on a table, I was one of the many that were grateful for Daisy’s request for audience members to sit down, which instantly softened the room’s atmosphere. Given Daisy’s brave music theory code violations, it seems impossible to place her within a box. Though she may draw from Björk’s overt cheekiness— evident in her mischievous singing “Ha ha, ha ha” between autoharp strums— her sound is anchored by the throughline of her unmistakably clear voice. She proves it possible to make indie music that isn’t staggeringly pretentious at the onset. For example, my favourite of her originals, ‘Getting Back on the Horse’, was written in jest, and featured cheery cowboy-style whistling, and giggling from many in the crowd; I had never been ordered to “hide [my] chickens” to a melody so catchy. A special mention also goes to her transformative version of Dave Bixby’s ‘Morning Sun’, one of my highlights of the night, despite her typical reluctance to perform covers. Overall, the execution of this impressive variety paints her as a bona fide artist.
Initially, the Gordon McGruer Trio seemed like a collective where most members both look and sound like Cameron Winter of Geese. Oh how mistaken I was. Listeners were met with long and thoughtful songs, each consisting of a multitude of musical styles and rhythms including Bluegrass, Latin, and Folk. A combination of Gordon’s earnest singing, and his unwavering confidence on the guitar made for a performance of masterful quality. ‘Greyhound’ was comforting and nostalgic and wrapped up in interactive discussions of shawarma, chipped teeth, winning, and loss; all bases were covered in this gig. Seamless transitions greeted and bid farewell to each song, barely letting the audience get a clap in. The trio wrapped up their set with a plea to the government enveloped in an eighteen minute song, which stunned crowd members.
Tom Kitson’s long-awaited DJ set provided an alternative performance which listeners noted as being “surprisingly well-suited to the prior sets”. Overall, it was an evening filled with forward-thinking folk music which refused to stay within the genre’s confines.
Safe to say, I won’t be underestimating indie music for a while. Sometimes we get crushed by life’s cruel indignities, but sometimes we are pleasantly surprised by a night of musical education and soul-baring enlightenment in the form of folk music.
Image courtesy of Isabel Beiboer