Hootananny, Inverness, 23 April 2010

Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers

HOOTANANNY’S hosted one of April’s most eagerly anticipated gigs with the visit of much-hyped Glasgow band Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers. Support came from Inverness’s own James Mackenzie and the Aquascene.

The local act delivered a fine set of languid, string laden folk-rock, which at times was very impressive indeed. Their set boasted some genuinely lovely meditative wanderings; among them was ‘The Boat Song’, which demonstrated a range of musical and lyrical strengths which promises much for the future.

With a string of rave reviews for their debut, Home and the Wildhunt on the influential Electric Honey, a label which has expedited the careers of Belle & Sebastian and Snow Patrol amongst others, WBWAFOF are red hot at the moment, and the Highland capital had lofty expectations for their visit.

Fortunately they instantly found their Ennio Morricone-influenced groove with ease. Thrilling brass-whipped single ‘Hang the Noose’ really signalled the band’s intent; it was fiesta time on stage and the crowd quickly responded accordingly. From there they settled into a steady stomping chug and Hootananny’s went with them. What was impressive from the off was their ability to seamlessly blend disparate elements then deliver them with utter conviction and dynamism, while never becoming desultory or obfuscatory.

They incorporate country, blues, ska, rock’n’rolll and just about everything else, all suffused with an unavoidable doff to Morricone’s s spaghetti western soundtracks. Throughout the brass erupted in controlled explosions creating a real drive, while frontman Ali Downer stomped with a charged bark.

The highlight came, paradoxically, from the gorgeous, slower paced ‘Draw a Line’, which carried its own measured energy and really allowed Downer’s earthy Scottish diction to penetrate; it also gave the crowd just enough time to recover before a welcome return to stomping with gusto. ‘Twisted Mile’ was another shining example of their versatility, merging country, folk and rock’ n’ roll with a cool ramshackle energy.

Lyrically they explore some pretty moody territory, but it’s laced with interesting ambiguities and humour and often set against an upbeat country soundtrack resulting in a genuinely interesting musical conflict, which is 100 percent free from clichè.

WBWAFOF offered a vibrant, refreshing and at times riveting performance peppered with just the right amount of quirky chaos, and their effort was rewarded with an awesome response from the packed house.

With acts such as Mumford & Sons breaching the pop charts recently, more acts embracing a similar aesthetic may soon come in from the periphery, and given that WBWAFOF are near the very top of an ever increasing pile, opportunities to catch them in such intimate surroundings may be very limited indeed. Awesome.

© Alexander Smith, 2010

Links

• Woodenbox

• James Mackenzie