Keto live at The Lofthouse - Photo by Shaun Gordon
It’s easy to miss The Lofthouse tucked away as it within an non-descript looking ex-industrial building in the Lace Market (it’s just across the road from The Corner, near The Old Angel). But once the stairs had been navigated we were met by a room that had been decked out with incense and fairy lights - transforming the cold, brick room in to a warm, welcoming, and intimate venue, which was more than appropriate for the music on offer.
The gig has been organised by POM to raise money for the mental health charity Mind, with the two acts making up the bill, Keto and Field Studies, part of the ever-growing Denizen stable of artists.
Keto are led by the singer-songwriter Leah Sinead. Leah started out as a solo artist on the open-mic circuit before debuting her full-band project last year. The band help to flesh-out Leah’s songs, shaping them in to brooding, electric folk with hints of Laura Marling and Fleetwood Mac in their DNA. But these are no facsimiles, Leah has enough originality in her song-writing meaning that her songs are clearly her own, even if she has clearly audible influences. A lot of it is down to that voice, and my, what a voice it is - rich and deep, wringing every drop of emotion from within her songs. Leah complains of being under-the-weather, and if there are a couple of fluffed picked strings, you can hardly tell. There isn’t anyone, in Nottingham at least, that sounds quite like her. For thirty minutes the audience are spell-bound by Keto’s magical performance.
Field Studies live at The Lofthouse - Photo by Shaun Gordon
Field Studies exist in a place where Talk Talk, Radiohead, and Jeff Buckley all collide head-on. Tonight might be a short set, yet their limited time on stage perfectly captures the spirit of the band. They have noticeably grown in stature and confidence since I first saw them last year. Their already large sound has been transformed in to something much more expansive - they sound like they could fill craters on the moon. The guitars have been tweaked and have an added ‘roar’ to them, while the bass and drums lift the whole band towards the stars. And much like with Keto, it’s Chris Bailey’s voice carrying much of the emotional heft. When it all clicks in to place it’s stunning stuff. These are beautifully crafted songs, all breathtakingly elegant and poised, with the band leaving enough space and gaps for the music to breathe and unfurl organically. Listening to them feels like being washed away in a glorious downpour of shimmering sound. One of the truly great Nottingham bands around at the moment and it feels special being able to watch them in relatively intimate surroundings.
Field Studies and Keto played at The Lofthouse on Thursday 23 April 2015.
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