Tonight, Adrian Crowley is one man and his electric guitar, with backing vocals from the mysterious Tanya - she didn't reveal her surname - on a few of the songs. With a voice reminiscent of those of Damien Jurado and Jeff Buckley, and a slightly jazzy guitar style, modern folk is what you're getting. His performance was powerful and affecting. A major talent may be in our midst.
The Harvest Ministers have been around since the late 1980s, without getting the commercial breakthrough they deserve. They have stepped up their quota of live shows lately, though it is a mystery why so few came to this one when they packed Whelans a month ago.
Main man Will Merriman took to the stage to first do a solo version of Double Spirit. On the second song he was joined by a cellist, with the bass player, drummer and keyboard player coming on for Madame Gris, from last year's excellent Embezzling Kisses EP.
Some of their songs, particularly Jealous Taxi Drivers, have the wonderful, joyous feel of Van Morrison circa Moondance, and these are the ones that translate best live. Don't Break A Heart You Don't Know, with its 1970s Steve Winwood-style hook, should be a hit somewhere. Tired Old Ghost, which did not sound promising as a download from their website, was beautifully reworked.
The sparse instrumentation of She's Buried was probably the highlight of the night, but there were many contenders. The Harvest Ministers are a national treasure of sorts. It's never too late to discover, or rediscover, them.
