Angus Dawson Ellesmere Street EP Tour @ Jack Rabbit Slims
w/ Riley Pearce, Juno Kind & Lilt (DJ set)
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Angus Dawson has always curated and maintained a sound that is intricate and gentle. It’s multi-faceted soundscapes and huskily soothing vocals provide the perfect Sunday afternoon accompaniment. His showcase of his debut EP Ellesmere Street was a sure testament to that.
Pulling in a fair crowd for an early start saw Riley Pearce give us all the right reasons to be there. Unapologetically acoustic, his stunning range filled the room with a wholesome harmony. With over 4 million of plays on Spotify for his track Brave, there is everything backing this sweet summer honey.
In classic Angus Dawson fashion he took the stage bare foot, completely in his element. The guitar, the mic, the keyboard all became just tools of his expression. The dulcet tones of Listen took the loud chatter to a quiet murmur as each beat carved a delicate audible filigree façade.
With many a familiar face in the crowd he gave a mumbled humble thanks and appreciation before moving onwards matter-of-factly to one of his more recent songs Ocean in the Sky. With the imprint of the black and white video running through my mind I remembered to do as he said and “feel the air and breathe”. It was here in this song that I’d noticed how much more importance Luke Minness on saxophone had taken up since prior performances.
Flipping it over to something a little more familiar was his cover of Frank Ocean’s White Ferrari. Still very much in an Angus’ style, the point of difference gave us something to challenge; to think about.
Cast in a yellow spotter he moved onto all time favourite Close My Eyes. Without Anna O, the beautiful Louise Penman from Lilt took to the stage and did things only imaginable with the part. In a way she ‘lilted’ it with dynamic crescendos and an awe-inspiring range. Could it be possible that it was better than the original?
It couldn’t quite be an Angus Dawson gig without Battles as he begun to wrap up the show. The energy picked up with this little dancey number and the full floor had some positive faces very happily thanking him for his performance.
MIA CAMPBELL-FOULKES
Photo by Aaron Webber
