FBI Social was transformed into a cosy, friendly gig to promote the release of Sui Zhen’s new album, Two Seas. Upon a stage decked with flowers and guitars, the night indicated a typical folk affair. These assumptions were soon smashed to pieces.
Opening for Sui Zhen, covered in a unique black short dress, was Carry Nation (also known as Jess Warren) who serenaded the audience with a combination of dark musical tales and awkward humour, delivered brilliantly and wittily. Warren’s voice has layers of flexibility painting her as a formidable macabre chanteuse. Her backing guitarist’s D.I.Y pick -p, although originally irritating for its excess noise, grew to become an unearthly sonic colour. Her performance was minimal but transfixing, the intensity of her eyes drawing people in. Carry Nation’s songwriting is fairly traditional and stark but has opening to highlight her haunting melodies, a remarkable performer and competent songwriter who has great potential.
Fanny Lumsden and the Glorious Whores were unashamedly country, but whereas others drown in the cliché, Lumsden floated. Her voice is powerful and emotional, her songs are catchy and the band is tight. Lumsden’s real selling asset, alongside her voice, is her wicked humour and her infectious charisma. Her own songwriting is simple, fun and rollicking. Her lyrics are highly narrative-based, often filled with country allusions, but these did not alienate the audience. Lumsden allowed them to fall into her world of hot nights and wide landscapes and willing the listener to go along because she just was so excited to be playing. An absolute pleasure to watch and listen to.
Sui Zhen (or “Chewy Chen” as she had been christened earlier in the evening) may look like the cute folk singer, but under her pink stockings is a more mature and varied artist. What sprouted as a childish yelp grew to a howl, Zhen’s songwriting possessing strong alternative harmonic progressions and an elaborate palette of guitar tones. Punctured between songs was Zhen’s charming wit. She treats her crowd like they’re chatting at the pub, which relaxes the barrier between audience and stage. The one critique is the brevity of songs – often disallowing them to achieve maturity – but Zhen is still an impressive songwriter.
The three performers embraced their audiences, giving them a relaxed, warm and nourishing Sunday evening of entertainment and overall friendliness. A pleasurable gig to sit in and drink a cup of tea.
– Patrick Weyland-Smith
