Moth Club, Hackney
“Anyone heard of Marfa, Texas?”
For the country singer-songwriter from West Texas, it’s taken merely 5 LPs and a Pandemic-length of patience to headline this cherished former-working men’s club, brightly spangled for tonight’s hushed and focused sold-out audience.
Under the glittery veneer of East London’s Moth Club, strikes Jess Williamson’s lonesome figure on-stage, stranded a long way from her beloved homeland of West Texas. Whilst she confides in her temptation to move to this side of the pond, her repertoire to date of pop-country/alt-folk iterations remain deeply rooted to her origin - taken ahold by the magnanimous likes of Taylor Swift and Noah Kahan in recent years, as well as the intricate folk-driven artistry of Big Thief, Angel Olsen and Waxahatchee.
Williamson’s latest LP, Time Ain’t Accidental, imminently envelopes a warm embrace amongst this serene atmosphere - inviting such latecomers with a welcomed, huddled respite from the bitter January cold. ‘Topanga Two Step’ elicits the lightly-percussive, upbeat songwriting of an 80’s Hollywood soundtrack, whilst the LP’s title track later garners an enthusiastic singalong from the crowd who have otherwise remained resoundingly silent throughout tonight’s set. Whilst many of these latest incarnations prove comparatively poppier, brighter to her previous material, the flesh beneath it all remains lacklustre in parts, invariably ropey in others - relentlessly choked up on such pining and reminiscence of the old country.
Her Pandemic-stricken LP, Sorceress, fares better within this hushed foray, enacting a broodier, mystical aura baked into resonating words (“I heard God”) beseeched by a litany of tracks, including ‘Wind on Tin’. An evident elevation in the set’s calibre comes at the upheaval of Williamson’s collaborative record with Waxahatchee, instigating their bolstering duet known as Plains. ‘Abilene’ and ‘I Walked With You A Ways’ notably offer more in their tenure: an infectious upbeat energy in the former; a heartbreaking recital crutched upon the delicate vocals of the former, sumptuously withering and waining at its culmination. Whilst much of the gravitas is drawn aback by the lack of instrumentals and vocal harmonies (usually anchoring the genre), the solo singer-songwriter tonight imbues a tangibly emotive range, gripped by an impressive vocal display which inflects with ease, soft and smooth as melted honey and butter.
This evening's air of surrealism collectively transported us from the grungy corners of Hackney to the vast, dusty lands of the American Deep South - beset by references to interstate highways, bar fights and an overwhelming sense of isolation and romantic retribution. There’s no doubt that many of the audience will have had some familiarity with these tropes thus far, yet Jess Williamson offers her own softer, conservative blend of contemporary-country and alternative-folk - still aiming toward the lofty heights preached by her contemporaries. Encased in the glittered aesthetics, the singer-songwriter transcends it all, reckoning a greater gift of soul searching and romantic pining in her lonesome wake.
6.5/10
Jess Williamson's latest LP, Time Ain't Accidental, is out now via Mexican Summer and can be found below.
Photo is courtesy of Andy Hall whose work can be found here.
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