That Kara Grainger
knows what she’s about is evident from her sound alone. When she appears at the Voodoo Rooms,
strapping on an acoustic guitar, I’m surprised to see that her band features
bass, drums and keyboards, but not a second guitar to create a bit more
substance. But it turns out that she
creates a satisfyingly full guitar sound on her own account, thanks very much,
particularly when she adds some slide into the mix. Later on she cranks things up a notch with
the aid of a Strat, but the sense of balance is retained.
It’s a
sound that makes comparisons with Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi inevitable,
as she bridges country blues and melodic soul of the Paul Carrack variety. And if Grainger’s guitar playing is accomplished,
her voice is the perfect tool for the job in hand, full of light and shade, and
delivered with impeccable control.
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| Kara Grainger directs operations |
The other
key element in the Kara Grainger equation is the songs, which are perfectly
weighted to fit that countrified blues-meets-melodic aesthetic. She seamlessly blends together her own songs
with covers going right back to the roots of the blues, such as Robert
Johnson’s ‘Come On In Kitchen’ and ‘Love In Vain’. Contrasting highlights include the downright delicious
‘Lost In You’, and the punchiest moment of the set, ‘Little Pack Of Lies’.
She warms
up as the set progresses, especially perhaps once she’s been delivered a whisky
by one of the audience. But there
remains a sense that she’s playing within herself, and I’d love to see her let
loose now and then, to go to the edge.
Perhaps this is a consequence of doing this tour with a young British
pick-up band. She evidently has them
well-drilled, as they respond to her signals without batting an eyelid, but
they don’t give the impression that they could offer much in the way of
spontaneity. Which is a shame, because as impressive as this performance was, I
sense that Kara Grainger has a lot more in the tank.
The Rising
Souls opened the evening with a short set that generated an increasingly warm audience
response, and deservedly so. The
Edinburgh trio, playing guitar, bass, and box and percussion, served up a bunch
of rootsy, soulful original songs featuring standout vocals from Dave
Archibald. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in
wanting to see and hear more from them in future.
Piranha
Blues followed up with a breezy set of classic covers, delivered with swing and
wit and some original arrangements. Have
to say I still prefer Van Halen’s version of ‘Ice Cream Man’, but I
particularly enjoyed ‘Just A Little Bit’, which brought back memories of
Clarksdale, MS – of which more another time.
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