Music > Live Reviews

Hattie Briggs at The Bicycle Shop

16/01/15

So here we go, first show of the year, huddling down in the Bicycle Shop as local girl Phoebe Troup shuffles on stage to open things up. I'll cut to the chase; what follows is frankly wonderful. Most of the time you know roughly what's going to be coming at you when a soloist stands on stage with their guitar at the ready, the thoughts and phrases of thousand bedroom musicians loaded into their throats like a sonic PEZ dispenser. But rarely have I seen such an unestablished act pull off a set with this level of effortless class. Troup exhibits her roaming bluegrass sound with a voice that will probably still be a contender for surprise of the year come December, a fragile and arresting thing the likes of which you aren't going to stumble across in many places. Oh, and the songs are pretty ace too. If you see her name on a bill somewhere in the city then you should get your butt there immediately.With the arrival of Hattie Briggs comes a change in proceedings which, unfortunately, I can't be quite as effusive about. The sound is nice enough but too often you get the impression that the tracks are getting so bogged down in cliche that any significant expression disappears into a fog of tired sentiment, never to be seen again and soon forgotten. Some will draw attention to a simple elegance, an honest and approachable style, which is a valid point. Nevertheless, I can't shake the feeling that Briggs remains confined as a writer, someone who needs to push against the boundaries of what she can currently do in order to make more of an impact and to prevent her songs playing out so predictably. Take more risks and please, please, please stop mentioning the new album at each interval. There's more than a pinch of talent here but for now I'm afraid to say that it's used to underwhelming effect.