Such has been the growing popularity of Frightened Rabbit (pictured left) over the past six months, that I've been unable to get tickets to many of their recent shows in Glasgow. So I was enormously grateful to Matthew of Song, By Toad for sorting out access to this gig in a very intimate venue in Edinburgh - his involvement being that support act Meursault (pictured top) are on his recently launched Song By Toad Records.
It was a gig to commemorate the release of new LP Quietly Now!, a live and acoustic recording of last year's critically acclaimed Midnight Organ Fight. Unusually for an album that I've played to death over the past 12 months, I've yet to grow tired of Midnight Organ Fight, and each listen has me again struggling to decide which track is in fact my favourite (it all depends on how happy/sad/drunk/melancholy I am at the time).
This was an acoustic performance, and the band were on tremendous form. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I was lucky enough to see the band a few times around the time the LP was released in early 2008, but I reckon this was as good a live gig as I've seen them give us. All four members, along with guest Ross Clark on mandolin and banjo, didnt put a foot wrong, and if I had one grumble to make it was that I'd love to hear more than just two songs from debut album Sing The Greys played. Oh and I wish Keep Yourself Warm could be claimed back by the band instead of it being a mass-audience singalong....(but that's the music snob in me coming out).
The band announced that this was going to be their last gig for quite some time as they were now looking to record a third album. I was lucky enough to grab a word with Scott Hutchison and Andy Monaghan afterwards, and they both explained that while a new LP might be ready this side of Xmas, the record label had indicated it wouldnt be released until early 2010, so any promotional tours and the such-like would be put off until then.
Given how hard they've worked over the past 18 months with what seems to have been tour after tour after tour, I hope the boys enjoy their short rest, and that the magic is still still there when they do eventually get back into the studio later this year. It will be a tough job to release a record that will top Midnight Organ Fight, but I've a sneaky feeling they'll bring us something quite special...
mp3 : Frightened Rabbit - Fast Blood (live at Captain's Rest)
taken from the new live LP - buy direct from the record company by clicking here.
Oh and I suppose I better mention Meursault given it was a connection with them that allowed me and my mate Jacques the Kipper entry.
The thing is, being mates with Matthew aka Toad, I've long been wary of talking about Meursault and their debut LP Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues - if I didnt like it, I'd be worried about grossly offending him, while if I raved about it, cynics might say I was overly influenced by a friendship.
So I decided I would hold back offering an opinion until I saw them live.....
Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues opens with an outstanding track called Salt - Part 1 which is laden with electronica and something akin to a drum'n'bass rhythm. Last Friday, the band played an acoustic stripped-down version that was one of the most astonishing live performances of any song that I have ever seen in 30 years of going to gigs. All I could do at the end was clap as hard as I could and and stand there open-mouthed at its magnificence....
If you've read this post from the start, you'll know just how highly I rated the performance of Frightened Rabbit. But Meursault were better....
In addition to radical reworkings of songs fro the LP, the band played a couple of great new tracks that Matthew informs me will be on the b-side of a couple of limited edition 7" singles coming out later in 2009. I've already put my order in....
Jacques the Kipper was equally impressed, and that this acoustic performance reminded him a lot of the Factory-era James back in the 80s...and I didn't disagree.
I really do urge you to have a listen to these two songs, and if you like what you hear, please, please, please buy the LP:-
mp3 : Meursault - Salt Part 1
mp3 : Meursault - A Few Kind Words
The LP is available here.
Happy Listening.
6 comments:
Envious of you seeing Meursault, that album really is something special...
Nice review, cheers. And I agree - I wish Meursault would head South at some point!
I see the Meursault album is available on emusic so will download it next month- thanks for the tip.
Never heard of Meursault before. Had some eMusic credits needing used up so grabbed the album. Hm, that's really rather good isn't it? Cheers for the tip!
JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS ohhhh so very very very jealous, and not sorry for shouting it at all!!!
Not only some of my favorite people in attendance (well you more than Mathew, but don't tell him, hehehe)but also my favorite of favorites bands. My heart is aching now just to think about it.
And last night I made dinner in my kitchen with Meursault playing LOUD on the stereo and it was a glorious racket and oh... something in that bleak, bleating Scottish voice from both of these men just cuts me to the quick.
I guess I will one day have something like that experience, although I fear I might have to travel across the pond to do it! ha! xoxoxo (very happy you got to see Meursault, really happy in fact) :):)
Cheers for the amazing review JC. Should have bought you a few more pints - might have been even better then.
What a good evening in general, though. Really nice, although I didn't last long at the after party in wotsits. Should maybe have stayed in City Cafe.
Glad you enjoyed yourself mate.
Tart, piss off. And stop playing favourites - it's devious.
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