Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Paul Straws might not be a name that the vast majority of music listeners in Liverpool and the surrounding area are aware of just yet but with his impish grin and delectable guitar playing, it won’t be too long before the music lovers of the city catch him somewhere.

Coming on stage at Leaf can be pretty daunting. It’s not a large area for sure but its close knit proximity to the audience means that there is nowhere to hide for someone who is anyway self-conscious or worse self-absorbed.

Thankfully the acts that have performed there have all come off rather well to the audiences and none so especially as the very cool Paul Straws. The set list may have run to only seven tracks but it was his sincerity in his music and the heart that was framed neatly in his voice that endeared him to an appreciative crowd.

Paul opened his set with Notes From a Lifetime Ago and the wonderfully sentimental Crooked Branches. Each song captured the essence of the man and his music, free flowing and gracious and a joy to listen to.

Paul Straws was complemented by the use of some incredibly good and very decent talent on stage. Introducing them as his Merry Band of Misfits, a name that he joked might stick, they were anything but as Rishi Gupta on guitar and mandolin, Andy Kettle on keyboards, Michael Bradshaw on bass and vocals, Alec Britt on drums and the excellent Vicki Mutch from the Mono L.P.’s on cello. This wasn’t just a rag tag of musicians thrown together for the soul purpose of making the main musician look good, this was a concerted effort by all involved and it paid off handsomely.

Paul Straws finished his time on stage at Leaf with the craftily played A Use For Me and a lovely solo spot of guitar playing with the beautiful Flawless.

A cracking set of music from a very talented musician. These types of nights at Leaf just get better and better. It goes to prove the music scene in Liverpool has never been so healthy and incredibly diverse and there is always room for all.

Ian D. Hall