Night & Day, Manchester


31 October 2005

It seems to me that in today’s UK music media world much that is hailed as ‘the best’, ‘album of the year’, etc., etc., is nothing more than mutton dressed up as lamb. In short, I think that the media now find it difficult to discriminate between mediocrity and excellence, and the bar has been lowered to a disgracefully low level. The end result is that really wonderful artists and their music lie buried beneath piles of steaming hype, pitiful populist radio play-lists, and unwarranted TV exposure. In my view, it has never been worse in a country once famed for musical creativity, and quality. I recently attended a live concert sponsored by MTV called the Bandwagon Tour where four UK new bands were showcased. When I arrived at Liverpool University I was shocked to find a mile-long snaking line of punters waiting to see Texas. Then I arrived at the smaller venue just around the corner to witness the Bandwagon show and four new bands that deserve more attention.

American Johnathan Rice is none of the above but, like several other great young singer/songwriters, he has been overshadowed by the huge hype, radio and TV exposure, and sales of much lesser mortals like James Blunt. Rice’s album TROUBLE IS REAL is chock full of meaning, introspection and melodic beauty, therefore to witness a live performance was high on my list of review priorities. Supporting Rice was a lady I have seen twice before and whose album LONG SHOT NOVEENA is a personal favourite. Eileen Rose is also American but has been based in the UK for several years.

The Night & Day club in Manchester is a small venue with a reputation for championing the best singer/songwriters in its acoustic-friendly environment. Rose kicked off proceedings with several new songs I have not heard before. She’s a polished performer who is able to effortlessly involve her audiences with great music and humorous chat. She’s also got a pretty special voice that’s able to adapt to the mood and tone of songs; one minute smooth and gentle, the next angry and rocky. It was a faultless performance which peaked when she sang a fabulous, older song from LONG SHOT NOVEENA. If you’re into singer/songwriters, you’ll love this lady. Watch out for live performances in your neck of the woods.

It was Halloween night with Rice and his band appearing face-painted for the occasion. As is so often the case with artists like this, the place started to fill with music lovers characterised by their ability to seek and find – so necessary now in the UK market scenario I described above. Supporting Rice on the night were highly competent bass and guitar players with a demon drummer hidden behind in the dark shadows. My only criticism of the venue related to both Rose and Rice were unlit and shoved over to the less visible side of the stage. When it comes to electronic music, the club is less than perfect and so the solo acoustic interlude from Rice was more than welcome. That said this shy young man was superb.

TROUBLE IS REAL contains serious songs that are rendered highly accessible by super-strong melodies and pop sensibility. In fact virtually every song could be released as a single and would succeed - given airplay support. Rice has a supremely expressive vocal quality that he delivers with rare passion. His performance was punctuated, in complete contrast, by deadpan introductions which included some quite funny moments.

As you would expect, much of the material was from his superb album including my favourite track, the intense and utterly beautiful Mid November; an epic pop song if ever there was one. Live, many of the songs were given a rockier treatment which I felt occasionally masked the sensitivity inherent in Rice’s music. But with talent and song writing this good the performance survived as one of the best seen in 2005 and was only exceeded by his show at August’s V Festival at Weston Park.

Rice is undoubtedly one of the finest singer/songwriters around at the moment whose music still remains largely undiscovered. How long he remains underground in the UK is in the hands of the broadcast media, whose track record in revealing the best is far from the best. And so, as is so often the case, you’ll have to discover him for yourself. His new album represents an excellent start point, and I can promise you it won’t leave your CD player for many weeks. This was a memorable show and the type that leaves you with a warm glow as you wander home, with tunes whirling around in your head.