Daniel Vigilante
Sandra 1
Michael ItaliaMusic: Georgia Fields and the Freeways
Georgia Fields and the Freeways
Manchester Lane - July 24 2008
Ms. Fields and co. have been causing quite a stir on the indy folk scene throughout the past year, and the pot is reaching an almost boiling-point of new star creation. And that new star—backed-up by a crowd spilling out the doors at a boutique venue (Manchester Lane) on a cold Thursday night—should rightly burn for Georgia Fields and her slow driving Freeway band, with a standout performance of eclectic quirky pop confirming the purport of her talent and deservedness.
Boasting an “indy-folk orchestra” to back up Ms. Fields’ gorgeous vocal, tonight’s gig was somewhat of an extravaganza compared with her weekly stripped-back acoustic shows. Tonight was glitz and glamour, comparatively, with brass, electrified guitars, choir, harp and—no kidding—a drill and children’s toys. Even a soft-drink can had its sequence of melodious input.
But it wasn’t quite the raucous performance that may be interpreted: you could hear a pin drop in many of the breakdowns, and Ms. Fields certainly does test a audience’s listening diligence, with only the occasional drunk rebelling with an inability to contain a “We love you George!” midway through a pianissimo segue. But the heckle goes unpunished. Justified by the mass agreement, perhaps.
There is no doubt young Georgia was nervous; the turnout and applause-volume maybe surprising her a little, but there was no show of it in the songs (in her awkward between-song speeches, perhaps yes, but even that is endearing, like a kid with new skates falling over).
Her stunning EP was brought to a new life with the added instrumentation, and some new songs (notably Satellite, written by her sidekick extraordinaire, Judith Hamann) promise further acclaim whenever the next recording comes along. In the mean time, you’ll have to see it live, and you may just find yourself humming “This could be the start of something beautiful” as you leave, with a touch a prophetic hope. Only, this reviewer would argue, it’s already started.
Manchester Lane - July 24 2008
Ms. Fields and co. have been causing quite a stir on the indy folk scene throughout the past year, and the pot is reaching an almost boiling-point of new star creation. And that new star—backed-up by a crowd spilling out the doors at a boutique venue (Manchester Lane) on a cold Thursday night—should rightly burn for Georgia Fields and her slow driving Freeway band, with a standout performance of eclectic quirky pop confirming the purport of her talent and deservedness.
But it wasn’t quite the raucous performance that may be interpreted: you could hear a pin drop in many of the breakdowns, and Ms. Fields certainly does test a audience’s listening diligence, with only the occasional drunk rebelling with an inability to contain a “We love you George!” midway through a pianissimo segue. But the heckle goes unpunished. Justified by the mass agreement, perhaps.
Her stunning EP was brought to a new life with the added instrumentation, and some new songs (notably Satellite, written by her sidekick extraordinaire, Judith Hamann) promise further acclaim whenever the next recording comes along. In the mean time, you’ll have to see it live, and you may just find yourself humming “This could be the start of something beautiful” as you leave, with a touch a prophetic hope. Only, this reviewer would argue, it’s already started.
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