Review: Mandolin Orange, Tunnels

The Tunnels and CRH Promotions are proving to be the killer combination for quality music lately, a run of five splendid shows in April and they opened their May account with Mandolin Orange, a pair of multi-instrumentalists from North Carolina.

The night was opened by Josh Oliver a singer songwriter, occasional guitarist with Mandolin Orange and native of Tennessee. Oliver played a captivating set, beautifully mellow songs full of yearning and redolent of simpler times. His guitar playing was exquisite, picking out pretty leads and melodies, with flamenco flavoured aggression in the strumming. Vocally his delivery was just this side of a murmur, head back and forth from the mic his presentation forced the listener to really focus on the performance and as a result being rewarded with some charmingly evocative lyrics. Hello Stranger was a great tune but Get Along Little Yearlings, with its beautiful melody and narrative lyrics, was the standout tune in the set. A cover of WiIllie Nelson’s Sad Songs and Waltzes concluded the set and Oliver made this melancholy beauty his own, no mean feat given the pedigree of the writer. His latest release Part of Life was recorded with the help of Mandolin Orange and is well worthy of your hard earned cash.

Mandolin Orange are Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin, the former on violin and acoustic, the latter on mandolin and acoustic whilst both sang. Although saying they both sang does scant justice to the vocal performances – talented musicians no doubt but when they sang (whether solo or in harmony) they had the room spellbound.

After the opening cut Frantz requested a hand for Oliver and (referencing both his singing style and between song banter) reassured us that “…he’s from Tennessee… we don’t understand him either”. She also took it upon herself to assume responsibility for the downpour, apparently due to her purchase of a Barbour. This set the tone for her performance: a grin on her face, a smile in her singing accompanied by both gorgeous acoustic work and stirring, keening violin.

Marlin himself had a rather serious demeanour whilst playing and singing but was delightfully deadpan with his between song comments and off-mic asides (responding to Frantz’s whispered observation that his mandolin might be slightly out of tune with “… that’s the understatement of the year…”) and surely he has the right balance. After all, any performer that takes his music seriously but doesn’t take himself seriously has the right attitude because we’ve all witnessed the earnest dullards who take themselves way too seriously and burden the world with shoddy music.

The selection played included new material – Hey Stranger, recently recorded but not yet released; the prettiest song you’d ever wish to hear about the end of the world – Little Worlds from their most recent release Some Jubilee; along with the incredibly catchy Waltz About Whisky (no prizes for guessing with the tempo or the subject matter). The pair played a great cover of Dylan’s Boots of Spanish Leather mid-set, taking alternate verses and stretching it out with a laid back vibe that breathed new life into the tune. Regardless of the age or provenance of the material the duo played with evident pleasure that made for one of those inclusive gigs, busting down the barrier between performer and audience. Swapping instrument combinations around kept the sound fresh as did their vocal work: no formula, swapping leads on songs, using harmony vocals sparingly at times or sumptuously when the tune warranted a full sound. A couple of instrumentals allowed Frantz and Marlin to show off their chops, up-tempo numbers a stand-up bass away from a rockabilly hoedown and despite the humidity (“…just like back home except more damp…”) the pair kept the music flowing to the satisfaction of the crowd. And once again a round of applause for the Tunnels crowd for keeping schtum during the quiet moments and then hollering with glee at exactly the right times.

Oliver was invited back up for the final numbers and Cara Dillon’s Bright Morning Star was an immaculate performance paired beautifully with a second cover, a rousing version of Caleb Klaude’s Innocent Road.  The band mentioned their liking for the Tunnels a coupla times in the set and let’s hope their liking for the room brings them back sooner rather than later.

All pix by John Morgan