Tomas Olesen checks out an interesting fusion of arts at the launch of Tallulah Rendall's new album.
Tallulah Rendall is a unique talent. As I watch her running through tracks from her new album at the Tabernacle I'm put in mind of a hybrid Patty Smith meets Kate Bush. Backed by some extremely talented musicians, the tight live show has the swagger of something honed on the road and is quite unlike anything else I've seen. It won't be to everyone's taste – her music is not always an easy ride and some parts work a lot better than others, but when it comes to high-minded conceptual music – this is art that rocks.
Tallulah opens with probably the best tune from her last album, 'Black Seagull'. It works as an icebreaker as it seems to be a crowd favourite and is full of the classic stylings of '70s rock. Tallulah is very animated on stage, occasionally letting loose little yelps and barks, and is clearly totally in love with the sounds that her and the band are creating. Before 'Underground' gets an airing Tallulah introduces the companion art concept that runs through this album - in the case of this song the accompanying art is 12 paintings by Beshlie McKelvie.
For this album Tallulah assigned each track to an artist with the simple brief of creating whatever the music inspired. As such there's photgraphy, animation, jewellery, and even a painting on glass from the celebrated Andrew Logan. These are all exhibited downstairs and provide a brilliant extra dimension to the gig. It could have ended up being a bit pretensious, but it works because the intent is pure and the calibre of artists involved is high.
My favourite piece is a composite photograph of a landscape by Charles Moriarty: the tune that inspired it is called 'Older Then The Hills' and involves Tallulah alone, accompanying herself on the guitar. It's very operatic and again puts me in mind of Kate Bush. I'm not sure it all works but it's impressive vocal gymnastics and is strikingly original.
Tallulah plays a well thought out set and includes favourites from the last album too. 'Time Fades' is one of these and she includes a vignette about her father not liking the 'whispery stuff', and I have to agree with her dad. In my opinion Tallulah is truly special is when she lets her powerful voice off the lead a little. The immense control she has to flip between near whispers and Bassey-esque power is nothing but impressive and I understand that the juxtaposition of these styles is what gives the crescendos (which many of her tunes build to) their power, but it just doesn't float my boat particularly.
Overall I enjoyed this album more than her previous work: there's been a definite progression to a rockier style and when the band are in full swing and Tallulah lets rip with her mighty voice it's powerful stuff. In this world of homogenised pop and rock, it's these moments of something a bit different, something with a dollop of good old fashioned British eccentricity, that makes music interesting.
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