Grapevine Triple Bill

Norwich's Grapevine for Music last night pushed the boat out just a little bit further again in welcoming West Country jazz folk-rock duo Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett to the historic Guildhall. The evening also included performances from Milton Keynes duo Hope In High Water and Norwich's own Ben C Winn.

Thanks are due to Ben C Winn for stepping in with less than 24 hours notice to open the evening.  Ginny Dix had been due to appear, but was forced to cancel when this winter's vicious throat virus claimed yet another voice. Ginny was of course sorely missed (please excuse the pun) and we wish her a speedy recovery. However Ben stepped up to the mark and entertained us as only he does – a mixture of comedy, poetry and songs that pick up on the surreal and the mundane, as well as the delightfully observational. Last time I saw him was in a rather noisy pub in Norwich so it was an unexpected pleasure to get to properly hear some of the material from his new album I Always Wear These Trousers, as well as be re-acquainted with some older favourites. Rita Don't Retire reminded me of Graham Fellowes' Jilted John era, older song Screenwash is delivered with just a hint of Parklife, but Darling You Were Snoring Last Night, and I Can't Do Rounds Tonight are pure Ben.

Hope In High Water were at the Guildhall in May last year, just after the release of their excellent album Never Settle, and last night's set provided another opportunity to enjoy up-close and personal renditions of these songs. The duo of Josh Chandler-Morris (guitar and vocals) and Carly Slade (banjo, bass and vocals) deliver their mostly self-penned songs using a near-perfect amalgamation of North American gospel-folk and edgy punk-spirited passion. The inclusion of  Where Did You Sleep Last Night, first recorded by Lead Belly (and later featured on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged album), is an excellent choice to illustrate this fusion of influence and ethos, and complemented beautifully the gospel standard that is Angels In Heaven. Josh's voice, world-weary and course, meets the perfect foil in Carly's harmonies, although it is her that takes lead vocals on Heartaches On Hold, She Cries, and the beautifully captivating Four Strange Walls. I am reluctant to describe Hope In High Water as the UK's Handsome Family, but do so as a respectful compliment rather than as mere journalistic laziness.

The final act of the evening is another duo, one that brings together singer-songwriter Will Lawton and drummer Weasel Howlett for their first performance together in Norwich. Having jammed together for the past three years, this January saw the release of their first collaborative album, the intriguingly named Fossils Of The Mind, a jazz-influenced collection that sees Howlett's stripped back percussion driving Lawton's melodic keys and vocals. Some songs have a distinctly cerebral feel, with titles like Hope, Release, and Peace giving clear clues to the themes being explored, whilst others have origins that appear more typical of  West Country musicians with strong connections to the sea. For example, I could imagine Atlantic O being re-arranged for guitar for either Ben Howard or Ruarri Joseph. Golden Ratio takes a mathematical look at patterns in nature, whilst Step Nine produces further introspective delvings.