A Tuesday night gig in my favourite Edinburgh venue Sneaky Pete's. I'd been waiting to see Memorial again ever since their support slot with Courtney Marie Andrews in Glasgow at the tail end of last year.
As is often the case at Sneaks there were two support acts. There were lots of acoustic guitars.
First up was Jack Hinks, I think formerly of the Jack Hinks Band, but tonight solo. I missed the beginning of his set and only caught the last three songs. One was about Los Angeles and how even though it's big it is also small. I liked that and the idea behind the song. I'll look out for him again, I think he's local (though maybe not to Los Angeles).
I'd never heard of Elanor Moss before. I don't know why. It's a complete mystery to me what with my liking for women's voices and sad girls with acoustic guitars. She was a revelation. Very assured songs, a beautiful voice and cheery between song chat. She's right though the songs are sad and it takes a brave performer who finishes their set with a song about a serial killer, in this case an Italian woman who only killed men who'd wronged her. Seems fair. I'm going to stick my neck out and say we'll be hearing more of Elanor Moss. I certainly want to hear more and probably will.
Memorial could be a goth band but they're not. It's the name. They're two blokes who sing and play acoustic guitars so not goths though the songs are sad. They have a way with harmonies and the interplay of their voices at times conjures up both the brightness and the melancholy of Simon and Garfunkel. That likeness doesn't dominate but is there and I was intrigued that they were going to play a cover of a song by 'Garfunkel' one where he hadn't used harmonies but they had added harmonies. Unfortunately that song remained a mystery as the venue informed them they were over time and had only one song to go so they switched to one of their own. They have a album to sell and their own songs to sing. They do that extremely well. I don't know if Memorial are going to be big but if you like keenly observed lyrics and really lovely harmonies then this is for you and anyone who likes the same. Which should be a lot of people. I'll be keeping my ears open for more of their music that's a certainty.
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