Hallamshire Hotel is quickly becoming an iconic spot for visiting and local
artists to play. Tonight was no different, with local headliners Cleaver Blue
bringing along Mancunian’s Recovery Park and fellow local singer-songwriter
Jen Wynn for their midweek Independent Venues Week gig.
Wynn opened, sultry reverberating vocals pouring into each dark corner of the
space. Possessing a lightness that seemed to add shine to some of the darker
material she weaved, she proved to be an adept solo performer. She
canvassed the space, echoes painting a resonant sense of clarity with our
surroundings. I found myself very aware of the space between js and her –
audience and performer. No separation, crucially, just an awareness of sonic
channels, and how sound was the path between us. This is the beautiful
intimacy ushered up by solo performers, and Wynn proved to be an intuitive
performer in her delivery.
Recovery Park hit the stage next, not to be fooled by their shy youth. They
delivered a monstrous set, a drastic yet not unwelcome change from the
somber tones of our introduction. There was real, excellent skill to behold with
charged aggressive scissored riffs that chopped underneath their subtle
frontman’s sewn vocals. The room became swollen with a sense of force –
welcoming. Something that’ll knock you off your feet if you don’t fall in line with
their patterned chaos.
Their music is evocative of a tamed, matured rage. Bearing all its teeth but
with an intricacy that it demands to be considered with a more attentive and
speculative gaze. These aren’t just a loud rock outfit, and there aren’t just loud
drones. At times it is patient and melodic. Sometimes it is feverish but never
off-road without intent, and a determination to drag us all back onto the road.
They start and they end. And leave us wanting more from the ride.
Up next we have our headliners. There is a sophistication to Cleaver Blue’s
work, and this is carried on stage. They tell me afterwards that the nature of
Jake’s work being translated to live performance relies upon mixing up
instruments, so what may have been keys on record is actually a guitar on
stage. It’s a common practice, particularly in the self-made world where there
isn’t a handsome selection of paid musicians and gear at one’s disposal. The
four-piece find a way to make it true, to make it more than just making do. It
lends to a cohesiveness of sound, which despite the on-record tonal diversity
being a strength, is actually to the band’s benefit when performing as a live
outfit. The work becomes heavier, more urgent and with greater friction. It
becomes more alive, which flexibly suits a band so familiar with a digital
output. There is nothing unsteady about this transition. They are excellent live.
And this is one of the many things I love about Cleaver Blue is their sheer
commitment to creating work. That’s not to say they compromise on quality.
Everything feels in its place and meticulously considered, both live on and
record, but it’s also matched with a playful freedom that says ‘well this is what
it is, let’s see what the next thing is’. Cleaver Blue traverse sonic landscapes
with paths they lay themselves, stone by stone, one foot before the other,
making sense of it all and accumulating their findings for us eager listeners
with assured abandon.
We are gifted with fresh material in the rafters of Hallamshire Hotel. ‘Bianca!’
is a gorgeous music-box ballad, the unfolding of an envelope into a beautifully
halting realisation of something quietly profound and welcome. Its story glides
from sky to sea, kissing the surface for a second before you are soaring once
again. The repetition in both the anchoring keys and reverberating vocals is
compelling: it is structured in such a mobile way that despite these revisions, it
feels journeyful, with more to discover between each refrain. However, it is
also revolving. Whoever, or whatever Bianca is, we are brought back to it
again and again – each time to consider its beauty from another angle.
Instagram: @cleaverblue @recoverypark_band_ @jenwynnwynn
