LIVE REVIEW

This line-up captures diverse aspects of the folkier side of New York. Jeff and Nina have both made their way from East side to East Anglia for the beginning of the twisted folk tour.

Jeffrey Lewis has to be the friendliest man in pop. He has an air of geek done good – a complete package, with stories, illustrations and music. He oscillates between introspective, reflective, folky pop songs and dizzying rock-out numbers, peppered with random psychedelic stories and educational, musical lectures. He begins with his ‘History of punk on the lower east side’, which is wicked – a humorous historical lecture, interspersed with raucous/hilarious/fantastic interpretations of American punk precursors, which seems mainly directed at stealing punk credit from the UK, but he can be forgiven, thanks to a little rhyme confusing £ with a pounding. He is accompanied by brother Jack, who played here himself a week ago, plus drummer. They can make proper rock or the sweetest folk, and it works so very well. They fit in old favourites (‘The last time i did acid i went insane’), with new twists, and more recent moments like ‘Gold’. it is apparently Jeff’s fifth time in Norwich in the last year, and it’s high time he got to headline!

Nina Nastasia follows with sounds as clear and beautiful as a spell or a spiderweb. She surrounds herself and her guitar with a cluster of talented, bearded, magical musicians – an entranced pianist, a cellist, an accordion. Nina’s voice is soft but powerful, gorgeous and ethereal – it fits right in to the churchlike interior of the venue. There is a lullaby quality to many songs, yet others (Stormy weather) build up slowly to fill the room with reverberation. The place is busy, but folks are rapt and attentive. It’s a shame when she breaks between songs, not least because she then slips from lovely chanteuse into the grumpy demeanor of a German nanny goat, it seems she’s having a bad day. Her music is nonetheless lovely, though perhaps a little lusterless following the quirky energy of Jeff and band.

All in all, it seems that New York’s folk wanderers are peddling something pretty special. Long may they continue to spread the word.

Amelia-tohellwith

www.myspace.com/ninanastasia