Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The Lantern Theatre may be more used to having cutting edge and intense drama within its walls on Blundell Street but in the time that it has been open it has had its share of some exceedingly good music as well.

The winter weather may have bit hard around the country but somehow in Liverpool that never really deters people from supporting the arts, in no matter what form, in the city. The wind may have been positively Baltic as it raced up the Mersey but the music provided by Night Howl soon took any cold off the bones of those attending the first music night of 2013 in the Lantern.

Night Howl is the combined talents of Liz Kearney and Phil Poole and together they are a joy to listen to. Not only is the music they play refreshing but the songs are of a high standard and in some cases great quirky titles which only endears the audience to the musicians on stage.

The pair opened up their set with the songs Sweet Jonathon and Pearl Mother, both songs delicate and meaningful but with a sense of folk/rock danger which heightened the anticipation for the rest of the set.

Certainly Phil Poole’s guitar playing is quite spectacular and there would be hard rock guitarist seething with jealousy at his apparent ease of producing sounds that don’t normally stand shoulder to shoulder in the realms of folk. If Phil was great then what does that say about his cohort and partner in arms. Liz Kearney has a great interesting voice, on par with the likes of Natalie McCool, Rags Nordset, Kaya Herstad Carney and the young women from The Sundowners, her singing is undoubtedly one to savour.

There were some outrageously good songs in a set littered from beginning to end with sublime tunes that made the hair on the arm stand on end. Amongst these were the excellent Smokey Joes, City Beach and the outstanding If You Are That Beautiful, How Come You Are On Your Own.

Great to catch live and an impressive start to 2013.

Ian D. Hall