TWISTED FOLK FESTIVAL w/ THE EARLIES (London Arts Depot, 21/04/07)

So I sauntered down to the Twisted Folk Festival in Finchley yesterday, not because I'm particularly into folk or antyhing but because the Most Underrated Band In Britain (TM) were laying down their hypnotic, fully orchestrated grooves there. And unsurprisingly, the wonderful Earlies pulled out yet another blissfully top-notch show, enthused with all the mesmerising energy I've come to expect from them. I do worry that some of the jams at the end of their more proggy numbers go on too long for their own good, but Morning Wonder and a transcendent One Of Us Is Dead were worth the price of admission alone. Brilliant, brilliant band! Kudos to the crazy lanky dancey guy who made the show even more enjoyable, too!

The other acts at the fest were pretty great as well- nothing that encouraged me to throw out my indie CD's and become a dirty long-haired hippie but entertaining nonetheless. Baby-faced John Smith may have a dull name, but his voice is anything but ordinary-he's got the growl of proper grizzled bluesman truly nailed, and Alele Diane reminded me of Cat Power without the fragility with her countrified balladry. Lucy and the Caterpillar was also interesting, coming across as Emmy The Great's long lost not-quite-so-great cousin; thought she was a bit too self-consciously quirky until it dawned on me that she was actually mental! Pleasant enough though.