“There must be at least 16 or 17 people here…”
Having performed in scattered coffee shops across New York 7 years ago, the enigmatic indie-folk outfit Big Thief now found themselves in uncharted territory - a sold-out show at London’s historic Roundhouse. This act need little introduction as I’ve spent many-an-hour splurging my critique on their previous output - from frontwoman Adrianne Lenker’s recent solo LP and live show, to Big Thief’s mystical 3rd LP U.F.O.F released last month. Yet such is the current state with folk, revelling in various tropes of enigmatic lyricism, theatrical stylism, and emotional volatism, that I was anxious to see what Big Thief could offer in comparison to their contemporaries. With universal critical acclaim against their latest set of music, could new heights be set tonight?
The characteristically unorthodox track choices for the set's beginning was marked by virtue of three unreleased tracks, ‘Spud Infinity’, ‘Not’, and ‘Shoulders’. Exuding rather straightforward guitar riffs and off-kilter drum patterns, the crowd thereafter burst into applause in the excavation of certain other tracks from their ‘breakout’ LP of 2017, Capacity. From the dreamy, stoner-folk facade of ‘Capacity’, to the upbeat spit and sputters of ‘Shark Smile’s delayed guitar riffs, the act eventually won the attention of the Camden crowd.
Transcending into their latest LP, the dreamy mid-section of Big Thief’s facade unfortunately couldn’t mask over some of the musicalities which went awry. Whilst Buck Meek’s backing guitar licks simmered too faintly in the background, the overwhelming 4-part vocal harmony in ‘From’ proved tame in comparison to their encompassing studio recordings. Having seen this particular track from Lenker’s solo set in London earlier this year, my admiration for the track’s full-band transformation with its intricate oscillation between loud and soft tonalities, ultimately remained.
Another track excavated from Lenker’s solo work, ‘Terminal Paradise’, was also bolstered by a full live band and yet again showcased Lenker’s unequivocal lyrical prowess, “see my death become a trail, and the trail leads to a flower, I will blossom in your sail”. Against the grain of sporadically overlapping backing vocals and sumptuous acoustic refrains, Big Thief truly laid out the perfect platform for Lenker’s enigmatic yet poetic lyricism to shine through the haze of intricate instrumentation on stage.
Simmering verses, ethereal choruses, and haunting screams continued this mystical world encapsulated within their latest LP, namely ‘Contact’, exuding an effective breach of experimentalism nestled into their latest indie-folk sheen. From Lenker’s ferocious screams, to ‘Mythological Beauty’s delicately delivered crescendoes, the act ultimately shared their varying sound over the past few years - garnering a considerable reputation as one of the most enticing folk acts currently.
Extending their catalogue over the years, Big Thief also dove into their debut LP of 2016, Masterpiece. ‘Paul’, ‘Masterpiece’, and ‘Real Love’, all formed the bulk of their standout singles from this sonically-devolved sound, revelling in their balladry and undemanding folk-rock tendencies. If anything, these older tracks showcased the prowess of Lenker’s intimately former style of lyricism - bleakly exclaiming “we were just two moonshiners on the cusp of a breath” decrepitly transcending into “real love makes your lungs black”.
In conjunction with the unorthodox start to Big Thief’s set, the evening’s conclusion proved similar with Lenker’s omnipresent intimacy burgeoning the delicately-crafted outsider track, ‘Mary’. Returning the audience to reality, Lenker poetically proclaimed against a soft foray of acoustic guitars, “your eyes were like machinery, your hands were making artifacts in the corner of my mind”. Such pertinently romantic lyricism carried Big Thief through tonight’s set, not only backed by bassier instrumentation from the 4-piece entourage, but ultimately melting the audience's hearts in the palm of their dexterous hands.
Conjuring the nearest thing to a ‘greatest hits’ set, the indie-folk outfit essentially covered every crevice of their discography: all 3 LPs, Lenker’s solo LPs, Buck Meek’s solo track, as well as various unreleased tracks to date. In the midst of this, Big Thief’s latest 3rd LP U.F.O.F. ultimately stacked up well in its mystically homogeneous sheen - very much emblematic of what's to come with this genre. Whilst some of the backing instrumentation failed to assimilate in various parts, Lenker’s vocals became the ultimate stand-out this evening, with such gravitas and conviction tied to every known emotion. Little can be taken away from one of the most seminal folk bands of this decade who’ve undeniably come a long way since those coffee shop days playing to merely passive listeners, and now have themselves a gig at Hammersmith’s Apollo next February - and I’ll be back for more.
9/10
Big Thief’s latest LP, U.F.O.F., is out now and can be found here.
Tickets to their show at Hammersmith’s Apollo next February are on sale now and can be found here.
All photos are courtesy of Dani Bolton whose work can be found here.
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