Bryony Williams @ The Night Owl

 

Distinct and Authentic  

With tales of love, life and the mind on Bryony Williams’ recent debut album ‘You Are Here’ the local Alternative creative force and her band played The Night Owl, and it was an absolute belter of a set.  

 Before the headline came a cast of two amazing support acts in Daisy Peacock and Emily Alice, who set the bar high in their live performances. Both artists are singer-songwriters, with the guitar being the instrument of choice. With three distinct and authentic interpretations of Rock and Pop on offer.  

Magnetic Aura

 Peacock’s funky blend of 90’s pop sensibilities and Indie Rock style has been brought to our attention before, and her set did not disappoint. Her impressive vocals are supported by an excellent rock band who helped provide the 90s-drenched backdrop. Daisy certainly strikes you as an Indie rocker with a slight Punk edge, bringing a bite to their interpretation of catchy Indie Rock. She really knows how to be a great musician and performer on stage and possesses a magnetic aura. This great pop band proved again that their excellence can be experienced live in person, and not just on record. Their music can go from a soulful verse, and can soon transform into an energetic burst of post-heartbreak blues. Their drummer is phenomenal, mixing up the hi-hats with trap beat precision combined with the controlled aggression of Dave Grohl, the guitars are funky and are laced with such beautiful nostalgia and credit to Daisy for being such a great frontwoman and storyteller, her energy on stage is infectious.    

Feel Good

 The same could be said of all three bands tonight, including next up Emily Alice. A great guitarist as well as vocalist, her vocals were notably excellent though. With the vocal range and tone fit for a 2000s RnB classic of your choosing and the music that laid the foundation being upbeat, nostalgic and sometimes joyful. Definitely more of a modern pop vibe here, and it is delivered with such finesse. The entire band performed phenomenally, with a range of styles of alternative pop. The predominantly acoustic centred soft rock sound felt hopeful, despite some songs covering deep topics. Soulful vocals and lyrics expressed through the feel good medium of folk and indie pop, philosophical metaphors and an immersive selection of guitar chords map out the optimistic and creative mindset of Emily Alice. The band played with Emily for the first time at The Night Owl, which was exciting and surprising since the band played as if it were their 100th. Most definitely keep an eye out for this excellent live act who I am sure will have a bright future together.    

True Alternative

 Fresh off the release of her eclectic debut album, Bryony has a sound that is inspired by multiple sources on the rock spectrum, and as such it’s fairly hard to pinpoint exactly one reference point. This is where the classic term of Alternative comes into play, and that is a credit to Williams and not a quick generalisation as this search for a beacon has us in a blissful daze as multiple colours reach out to the listener. A true innovator and alternative, with a band that is tremendously talented and versatile. We were in for a treat.   

The 5th Dimension

 For the benefit of the reader, their headline set displayed her debut album heavily to the delight of the audience, an album with a divine mixture of Courtney Barnett, The Breeders, Kings of Leon, Dido and an American country inspired indie pop overcoat. Their tracks like ‘Berlin’ display the more laid back back seat top down aesthetic, slowing the intensity down to a steady rolling pace. There is a trip-hop vibe going on too, which is great! And others like ‘Inbetween Days’ (not to be confused with The Cure) with a heavier garage rock aesthetic, with the infectious raw guitar riff being cradled by the soft trance-like vocals of Williams. Their set was a trip, with plenty of peaks and troughs to cover the range of the human experience. An excellent live performance to wrap it up. There are so many layers to their music, with the lead guitar playing absolute Alternative Rock prowess with string bends taking your mind to the 5th dimension and back again. Williams’ vocal style is so hypnotic, with the power of her storytelling gripping the listener, holding us onto every word. I could imagine this live act at a number of huge music festivals and winning over ‘musos’ all over with their eclectic sound, or even supporting a range of Alt/Indie icons in the not-too-distant future. I love it when a band can make Pop sound so rock, it makes me happy knowing that commercially viable rock songs are still managing to be interesting, authentic and original. 

Gracefully Falling to Earth

 I especially love how locked in the band is, and some of the more BJM-sounding tracks really do have you in the grips of a true psychedelic meditation. This is a great band. It’s always great to experience this musical oneness in a venue like The Night Owl, as the tall open room was swelling with good vibrations. It was a spiritual cleansing! The synth sections creep up on you as they wrap you in an electric blanket, holding you in the air and releasing its grasp as you gracefully fall back down to earth, as they keep fashion with the studio recordings (a great touch to fans of the album).

 Wow. What a tremendous night. With three distinct sounds, and a lineup that worked wonders with each act complimenting the others. It was fantastic to see three woman-fronted live bands absolutely smashing it at The Night Owl, with three unique and gifted artists getting to shine on the stage and deliver their creations to the people of Birmingham. It has been wonderful to see more of this in recent years, especially since the calibre of artistry tonight was so high. And I expect everyone playing to have a great career in the music industry, as their talent is undeniable.