All of us can relate to that feeling of stress and anxiety when faced with last minute changes to an event or plan that we already had in place. You know that feeling of dread? That certain type of fear when, while you wonder if things will work out, sweat gathers on your forehead? Lucie Thorne from Love Over Gold was faced with this exact problem at her gig at The Basement on Thursday night.
Prior to Thorne appearing, Jack Carty played a short and sweet set of mellow folk tunes and ditties. He made the venue feel more like a coffee shop than the night club it is. Carty delivered the songs with a warm vocal quality and tender guitar plucking. With the sound of funky dance music bleeding from the upstairs bar at The Basement, it would have been difficult to not be distracted during the quieter moments of his performance. Things were not going perfectly.
The event was billed to be Love Over Gold’s album launch for Fall To Rise. The duo is comprised of Thorne and Pieta Brown. The album itself is gorgeous, and the combination of these two female musicians is a joy to listen to for both their songwriting and their gorgeous voices together.
With Brown having to attend to a death in her family, Thorne was left with her Guild guitar and amp to bring the songs to life. Thorne is an excellent minstrel and has received kudos for her solo records in the past. The funk music from the upstairs room had subsided by this stage, allowing the small tribe of fans to attune themselves to Thorne’s patter and music.
Thorne carried on with a mix of her solo tracks, a new song that she said she felt brave enough to do, and some of the songs from the album she prepared with Brown. Thorne’s smoky and low voice was easy to listen to, and the set progressed without too much variation in style. Unfortunately, as the set evolved, the audience began to leak out, and by the close of the evening, only the truly faithful remained.
Love Over Gold will continue their tour as a duo when Brown returns to Australia in the next week. Thorne may very well breathe a sigh of relief, and the sound of their lush harmonies will certainly make everything right for all involved.
