Unfortunately, still accustomed, as they are, to playing to one man and his dog, it surely can't be long before GRAYSTAR move more prominently into the public consciousness.
The Edinburgh based five-piece gave the small Left Bank crowd an all too short, but, nonetheless, hugely impressive showcase of their talents late last Saturday night.
The small, cramped stage did the band no favours, and as they squeezed themselves into position the crowd had inflated to an almost respectable figure. Almost.
Formed in 2003 by Liverpudlian frontman Dominic James, Graystar moved through their set of soft country-tinged rock as if they'd been doing it all their lives.
Opening with the mightily impressive 'Freaks', the band then crashed into 'Satellites' before, again, settling the atmosphere with recent single, the utterly sublime 'Cry No More'. The songs are elegantly garnered throughout by the sensational bass playing of John Reynolds, but it's pretty obvious early on who the real star of the show is.
|
The stunning ballad 'Free', proves James' has a voice that, not only, belies his years, but proves lyrical proficiency is there in abundance. Effortlessly forceful, his vocals are best utilised in these quieter moments, which, in turn, also gives his fellow musicians space to move freely. When they click into gear like this, as they are invariably inclined to do, Greystar are a finely-tuned musical revelation.
'Life Support' is another standout performance, before the band finish with two songs I hadn't heard previously, alluding to further, so far, undiscovered gems in the Greystar canon.
So, although only seven songs long, the band's set was littered with intelligent, penetrating songs that, surely, can only guarentee their future success.
(www.graystarmusic.com)
|
