Stornoway

They had promised this would be a special night, and for their headlining 2000 sell-out London show, Stornoway certainly pulled out all the stops. In little over a year, Oxford’s indie folk quartet have risen from an unknown name more associated with a far northern Scottish town, through a critically acclaimed debut album ‘Beachcomber’s Windowsill’, to stake their place in the top league of the nu folk.

There is much to like about this band, and a lot more to fall completely in love with, as they seduce and inveigle the listener into another world of deep waters, lost love, and blind you with beautifully observed and intricately crafted poetry in motion. Intelligent lyrics that weave mystery and magic, delicate harmonies, an endearing, somewhat self-effacing, frontman, multi-instrumentation - wrapped up in a package of overall joyful bonhomie. All of which were delivered in equal measure on this last night of their UK tour.

The darkened stage with a spotlight on solo violinist Rahul Satija heralds the roll into opening number ‘The Coldharbour Road’, setting the tone that takes in the whole of ‘Beachcomber’s Windowsill’ during the course of the 75-minute set. There is an added bonus too tonight with the inclusion of a new song (that vocalist Brian Briggs, in typically faltering style, names as ‘The New One’) that plays heavy on guitars and drums, with a catchy chorus and foot-tapping appeal that lends a hint of what might be forthcoming on the always difficult second album.

It is not hard to be transfixed by the mesmeric ‘On The Rocks. With the stage bathed in hues of sea green and a water ripple effect to the floor, you almost felt yourself transported to the banks of a river that the song makes reference to. While ‘I Saw You Blink’ serves to reinforce that here you are watching a band that have moved into a new stratosphere entirely, as shown in the deafening appreciative audience applause at its end. ‘Here Come The Blackout’ sees Rob Steadman moving from drums to beat out on buoys brought back from a visit to their Hebridean isle namesake; before a rapid guitar change by Briggs towards the end segues straight into the delightful and effervescent ‘Watching Birds’.

Working just as well with band and additional string section (to often swell the numbers on stage up to nine), no less effective was Briggs taking a solo role on acoustic guitar for the folk ballad ‘November Song’, written, befittingly, he informs, ‘on a cold and windy November night’. The pace is taken down mid set with album closer ‘Long Distance Lullaby’ in a remix twist that brings on stage members of the Oxford Keyboard Choir.

Of the night’s highlights, unplugged versions of ‘We Are The Battery Human’ and ‘End Of The Movie’ brought a haunting stillness from main floor up to the galleries, as Briggs’s soaring vocals played against a building acoustic crescendo. And if fans were waiting for one number in particular to be aired, it came as the finale. ‘Zorbing’ bounced and soared, like the balloon that floated around the building; remaining aloft, kept high by delight and the swaying hands of all it touched, before a shower of russet and green autumnal paper leaves cascade down from the roof onto heads below bringing song and night to a close.

Comparisons to Mumford & Sons have inevitably dogged Stornoway for much of their journey to date. But on evidence of tonight’s performance, they may just have taken one giant leap out in front in the race to win the hearts and minds of the discerning public. It doesn’t get much better than this.


Photo: Matthew Hutchings