Review by Charlotte Lunt
Hayley Strangelove is Soul Food. Within the first three songs of her first set she had me reflecting on the past, laughing, and grinning like a nutter. Hayley has an incredibly versatile and soulful voice which means that she doesn't just carry a song off, she takes it on an all inclusive 5 star holiday.
Her first set saw covers like California Dreaming sitting comfortably alongside some of her self-penned titles such as 'Happy' and 'Down the line (ode to the working man)', indicative of her skill in writing robust and accessable. Combining this with the rare talent of conversing with the assembled audience Hayley ensures that the audience are not only watching but are a part of her performance.
Describing the song 'Mummy's little Darling' as 'written in the style of Kate Bush with tongue firmly in cheek', Hayley shows not only her vocal talent but her ability to lay the female psyche bare - women in the audience take note.
At any time it is easy to see that Hayley is an incribly honest performer. Having seen her playing with a full band this not something that happens when she is performing alone, it is through her lyrics and delivery - what you see is what you get. This is not something that should be apologised for; it is truley refreshing. A rousing version of 'Mercedes Benz' and 'Circus' (the latter her signature song) see's the end of her first set.
Hayley's second set was again a mix of covers and her own work such as 'Dig Deeper', 'Stay', and 'Girl Inside' (a curiously charming song about a grusome murder) embelished with requests from the floor ranging from Fairport Convention to Free, again showing her versatility and accomplishment ather art.
Hayley has an album soon to be released, so click on the link below and see if we can't spread the [Strange] love.
Listen
Hayley Strangelove
No comments:
Post a Comment