The Canadian folk singer and mass of facial hair Ben Caplan is awash with welcome contradictions. His fearsome appearance and bellowing live performances mask the good Jewish boy underneath and it’s those Jewish roots that have formed the bedrock of his musical style. The enigmatic Canadian is not afraid to experiment though, mixing other sounds and genres to create quite different musical beasts, a trait that sets him apart from his peers. Listening to the rousing Balkan rhythms of the wonderful ‘Birds With Broken Wings’ and its dark lyricism, one can almost hear the influence of Emir Kusturica’s No Smoking Orchestra or the Leningrad Cowboys. Caplan can then shift gear, without skipping a beat, into beautifully restrained and soulful territory such as ‘Forty Days and Forty Nights’. A unique talent. The beautifully cool acoustic artistry of the critically acclaimed Lail Arad provides support.

Tue 8 Nov 7.30pm at Sunflower Lounge, 76 Smallbrook Queenway, Birmingham B5 4EG £10 (This event was originally at the Rainbow). www.birminghampromoters.seetickets.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW5bYqhKsVE