Like all great folk music, storytelling sits at the heart of Big Thief’s cavernous sound – cathartic, confusing, contradictory stories that forcefully pull the music one way, then the other; the band by turns quiet, dry and minimal, then loud and untamed. Chief songwriter Adrianne Lenker writes as though the songs are crucial to her own catharsis and understanding; it’s deeply introspective music, but Lenker wants to grow, not to wallow where she is – the result is generous, personal, and intensely involving. Big Thief’s sophomore album, ‘Capacity’, has already gathered runaway praise for its remarkable versatility and beauty: it’s a little like Grizzly Bear and Joni Mitchell retreating to the fabled Bon Iver cabin for an exercise in raw immediacy. For those who have been drawn into its enveloping story, the question of seeing this band play live is as obvious as spending time with an old friend.
Thu 02 Nov 7.30pm at Hare and Hounds, High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ £12.10 seetickets.com
Words: Chris Donald - Gigs Editor
Published on: Mon 9 Oct 2017